Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, have been forced to move multiple times to escape Israeli air strikes and ground attacks. However, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has now asked troops to prepare for operations in Rafah as well. He believes that Israel will achieve “total victory” over Hamas within a few months.
On Friday, Netanyahu announced that he had ordered the military to create a dual plan. This plan would involve evacuating civilians from Rafah to make way for an expanded operation. However, many Palestinians in Rafah have expressed their desire to stay in their hometown. Umm Mohammad, a displaced woman, said, “We never want to leave Gaza. We were born here, we live here, and we want to die here.”
The United States has warned against an unplanned Israeli offensive in Rafah, stating that it would result in a “disaster.” It is unclear how the situation will unfold, but tensions continue to rise in the region.
