Deal or no deal!

Netanyahu: Rafah offensive will happen in any case

While the Israeli government is currently waiting for a response from Hamas to its offer of a ceasefire including the release of hostages, the pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also increasing within his own cabinet. This is because representatives of the right-wing religious parties want the fight against the Islamist Palestinian organization to continue. On Tuesday, Netanyahu assured that the Rafah offensive would be carried out - with or without the hostage deal.

"The question of whether we will end the war before we have achieved all our goals does not arise," said a statement from Netanyahu's office. According to reports, the Israeli proposal provides for a 40-day ceasefire and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. In return, 33 hostages would be allowed to return to Israel. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Israel had made a "very, very generous" proposal. The only thing separating the people of Gaza from a ceasefire is Hamas. It must "decide and it must decide quickly", said Blinken.

USA warns of large-scale offensive in Rafah
The USA, other countries and aid organizations have repeatedly warned Netanyahu's government against a large-scale offensive in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. The city on the border with Egypt is overcrowded with hundreds of thousands of refugees. 

A Palestinian child in an emergency shelter for internally displaced persons in Rafah(Bild: APA/AFP)

The aid organization CARE announced on Tuesday that 1.5 million people are currently living there in catastrophic conditions. "Tens of thousands of people who have found refuge in Rafah are struggling with extreme hunger and limited water supplies. Their chances of survival are continuously decreasing," it said in a statement. CARE therefore called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.