While everyone is asking Israel, enemies and friends, not to attack Rafah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last Friday: “I met with Secretary of State Blinken. I told him that I really appreciate the fact that we have been fighting together against Hamas for more than five months. I also told him that we recognize the need to evacuate civilian populations from combat zones and, of course, also to provide for humanitarian needs, and we are working to that end.”
And he added: “I also said that there is no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah and eliminating the remnants of the battalions there. I told him that I hope we will do it with the support of the United States, but if necessary, we will do it ourselves.”
Another massacre is therefore upon us. With the risk that this will trigger further attacks on Israel by the Islamic Resistance and allies, Hezbollah and Houthis. Not even everyone in Israel is in agreement with the Prime Minister, on the contrary: in the Haaretz newspaper on March 21st we read that the General of the Israeli Army Reserve, Isaac Brik, renewed his appeal to change the Israeli leaders responsible for the failure of October 7th, expressing his fear of Israel’s deepening international isolation and warning against attacking Rafah or Hezbollah. And he doesn’t have bad blood with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant either.
Hamas, through Abu Zuhri, said that: “Any attack on Rafah is a real shift in front, and the Arab position must change and become more serious to face Israel’s plans and projects.”
Hamas leader Osama Hamdan: “Israel reveals its true intentions in the Rafah operation, which is to carry out genocide.”
Qatar, one of the most active countries in mediation between Israel and Hamas, said through the words of the spokesperson of the Qatari Foreign Minister, Majid Al-Ansari: “Any Israeli attack on Rafah would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe and would negatively influence the progress of talks, stating: We are trying with our regional and international partners to ensure the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.”
The WHO in a press note from the director writes: “We are deeply concerned by reports that there is an Israeli plan to proceed with a ground attack on Rafah. A ground attack on the densely populated city of Rafah would lead to more death and suffering, with overcrowded health facilities. We are making every effort and talking with all parties to prevent an attack on Rafah.”
Among the issues that worry the whole world about Rafah is the refugee issue: The Palestinian Center for Studies and Surveys in Ramallah in its opinion poll no. 92 wrote: “70% of those interviewed believe that if there were an attack on Rafah the displaced people would not go to Egypt and that Egypt is not a safe place, the same percentage expressed the belief that the Egyptian army would kill the displaced people.” They would then try to reach the European coasts by sea.
The Human Rights Commissioner said that: “Launching an Israeli attack on Rafah would be “contrary” to the decision of the International Court of Justice. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed today, Thursday, that the ground attack prepared by Zionist enemy forces against the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip “will violate” the decision of the highest court of the United Nations.
A separate issue that has outraged the citizens of Israel themselves, is the promotion by the army of officers deeply involved in the failure of 7 October. The military correspondent of the Israeli website Walla, Amir Bouhbut, talks about the promotion of Israeli “Army” officers closely involved in the October 7 failure and the suspension of other promotions, while the investigations into the Hamas attack are still ongoing.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
