Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, dashing hopes that a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip might be close, on Wednesday spurned a proposal from Hamas and said that Israel had directed its forces to prepare to operate in a Gaza city that has become a refuge for more than 1 million Palestinians.
His comments came a day after Hamas delivered a plan to mediators that called for Israel to withdraw from Gaza, abide by a long-term cease-fire and free Palestinians held in Israeli jails in exchange for the release of Israelis being held hostage in Gaza.
“Surrender to the ludicrous demands of Hamas — which we’ve just heard — won’t lead to the liberation of the hostages, and it will only invite another massacre,” Netanyahu said.
He spoke after meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was on the third day of a Middle East tour aimed at furthering negotiations to stop the war and ease regional tensions, which have risen since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack prompted the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Asserting that victory was “within reach,” despite growing concerns among Israeli officials that their forces are mired down and their military objectives far from reach, Netanyahu said that Israel had directed its troops to prepare to advance into Rafah.
Rafah has absorbed more than 1 million people — or more than half the territory’s entire population — who have been driven from their homes, according to the United Nations.
Netanyahu called the city and two nearby camps “Hamas’ last remaining strongholds.”
A key obstacle in the Hamas plan, according to Israeli officials, was a demand that Israeli troops completely withdraw from Gaza. Netanyahu has vowed that the forces will not stop fighting until Hamas is crushed.
“There is no solution besides total victory,” Netanyahu said Wednesday. “If Hamas survives in Gaza, it’s only a matter of time until the next massacre.”
Blinken, speaking later in Tel Aviv, Israel, said: “While there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’ response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there.”
Blinken also said he had urged Israeli officials to protect civilians.
“Israel has the responsibility, has the obligation, to do everything possible to ensure that civilians are protected and that they get the assistance they need in the course of this conflict,” he said. He added, “That’s especially true in the case of Rafah.”