Hamas Official: Israel's Rafah Invasion Will Fail to Achieve Goals, Threaten Peace Talks
A senior Hamas official, Ghazi Hamad, stated that Israel would not achieve its goals of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages by invading Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has been in control of the area since 2007, and Israel has accused the group of hiding weapons and militants there.
Despite international concern for the safety of the approximately 1.5 million Palestinians living in Rafah, Israel has vowed to proceed with the military operation.
Hamad, speaking from Qatar where Hamas political figures are based, noted that Israel had already spent seven months in Gaza and invaded various areas without achieving its main objectives.
There are concerns of significant civilian casualties if Israel sends troops into Rafah, with the US, Qatar, and Egypt warning against such action.
Israel's actions could derail ongoing negotiations for a truce and hostage release, as mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
An Egyptian delegation is scheduled to travel to Israel to restart talks on Friday.
The Israeli government is planning to destroy the last remaining battalions of Hamas, located in Rafah, Gaza.
According to Israeli government spokesman David Mencer, the army has already destroyed 18 or 19 of Hamas's 24 battalions during the ground invasion that began on October 27.
The impending assault on Rafah has caused many Gazans to take refuge there, and the city has been subjected to regular bombings.
Critics argue that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance on Gaza is contradictory, as he wants to return captives to their families but puts them in danger by continuing military operations.
Israel's army admitted to mistakenly killing hostages in Gaza during an operation.
Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh accused Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of manipulating and procrastinating during peace negotiations, trying to deceive both the Israeli public and the international community.
Haniyeh claimed that Qatar and Egypt were making significant efforts to reach an agreement, but Israel was being unreasonable and confused.
Hamas, which governs Gaza, is already preparing for the post-war phase, focusing on rebuilding the strip and improving living conditions.
During Hamas's October 7 attack, around 250 hostages were taken to Gaza.
Israeli officials report that 129 hostages, including 34 military personnel, are still being held.
The attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, according to AFP. In response, Israel launched an offensive against Hamas in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 34,305 people, primarily women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Despite international concern for the safety of the approximately 1.5 million Palestinians living in Rafah, Israel has vowed to proceed with the military operation.
Hamad, speaking from Qatar where Hamas political figures are based, noted that Israel had already spent seven months in Gaza and invaded various areas without achieving its main objectives.
There are concerns of significant civilian casualties if Israel sends troops into Rafah, with the US, Qatar, and Egypt warning against such action.
Israel's actions could derail ongoing negotiations for a truce and hostage release, as mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
An Egyptian delegation is scheduled to travel to Israel to restart talks on Friday.
The Israeli government is planning to destroy the last remaining battalions of Hamas, located in Rafah, Gaza.
According to Israeli government spokesman David Mencer, the army has already destroyed 18 or 19 of Hamas's 24 battalions during the ground invasion that began on October 27.
The impending assault on Rafah has caused many Gazans to take refuge there, and the city has been subjected to regular bombings.
Critics argue that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance on Gaza is contradictory, as he wants to return captives to their families but puts them in danger by continuing military operations.
Israel's army admitted to mistakenly killing hostages in Gaza during an operation.
Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh accused Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of manipulating and procrastinating during peace negotiations, trying to deceive both the Israeli public and the international community.
Haniyeh claimed that Qatar and Egypt were making significant efforts to reach an agreement, but Israel was being unreasonable and confused.
Hamas, which governs Gaza, is already preparing for the post-war phase, focusing on rebuilding the strip and improving living conditions.
During Hamas's October 7 attack, around 250 hostages were taken to Gaza.
Israeli officials report that 129 hostages, including 34 military personnel, are still being held.
The attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, according to AFP. In response, Israel launched an offensive against Hamas in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 34,305 people, primarily women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Translation:
Translated by AI
