Israeli minister:

“No safe haven for terrorists in Gaza”

During a troop visit to the Gaza Strip, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant indicated that the military offensive in the city of Rafah would begin soon (see video above). "There is no safe haven for terrorists in Gaza. Even those who think we are delaying will soon see that we will reach every region," said the politician.

Galant may have been referring to media reports that allies had urged Israel to postpone an invasion of Rafah, wrote the New York Times. According to estimates, 1.5 million Palestinians are currently seeking shelter from the fighting in other areas of the Gaza Strip in the city on the border with Egypt. Israel's government recently said that the civilians would be taken to "humanitarian islands" in the center before a military operation.

Netanyahu: "Victory very close"
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently expressed his determination to begin the planned offensive against Hamas in Rafah soon, despite international warnings. "We are very close to victory", he said in an interview. In addition, senior US officials have stated that Joe Biden's administration supports targeted strikes against Hamas in Rafah - on the condition that a large-scale invasion is not launched. At the weekend, Biden had declared such an offensive to be a "red line".

In the past 24 hours, dozens of people have died again in the Gaza Strip - 69 according to Hamas. 100 more are said to have been injured. In total, more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war on October 7, including many women and minors. The background to this is the attack by the terrorist organization Hamas on civilians in Israel, since when around 100 hostages are said to still be held in the Gaza Strip.