The city of Rafah, home to nearly 1.5 million Palestinians, is bracing for a possible Israeli offensive this Monday after international mediators met in Cairo to negotiate a truce in the Gaza Strip.
The discussions, also aimed at freeing hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, show “significant progress”, pro-government Egyptian media Al-Qahera News reported on Monday, citing a senior Egyptian source.
United States disapproval
On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said his country’s forces were “preparing to continue their missions (…) in the area of Rafah,” a city bordering Egypt on the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, home to nearly 1.5 million people. Palestinians, most displaced.
Hours earlier, Israeli troops withdrew from Khan Younes, another city in the southern coastal territory that is the epicenter of the fighting, to “prepare for future operations,” according to the army. Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his determination to eradicate Hamas “in the entire Gaza Strip, including Rafah,” a city he envisions as the last great bastion of the Islamist movement.
Israel’s historic allies, the United States, have repeatedly expressed disapproval of the possible operation in Rafah, considered too costly in human lives. Dozens of Palestinian refugees in Rafah returned to Khan Younes on Sunday just after the withdrawal of Israeli troops, according to AFP images.
Return “within two days”
The Israeli army’s statements came simultaneously with a new round of indirect negotiations in Cairo between Hamas and Israel through international mediators – Egypt, the United States and Qatar.
The delegations of Qatar and Hamas left Cairo and will return there “within two days to finalize the terms of the agreement,” the media also indicate. The American and Israeli delegations are expected to leave the Egyptian capital “in the coming hours,” and consultations will continue for the next 48 hours, the same source explains.
Source: Le Parisien
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