“There is a date,” says Benjamin Netanyahu about the Rafah offensive

Israel maintains its offensive plans on Rafah, a border town with Egypt, in the south of the Gaza Strip, where nearly a million and a half Palestinians have found refuge. On Monday, April 8, the Hamas health ministry announced the deaths of 32 Palestinians in twenty-four hours, bringing the total toll, after six months of war, to 33,207 deaths. On the Israeli side, the war resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, according to a report established by Agence France-Presse (AFP) based on official Israeli figures.

On the ground, witnesses told AFP that several airstrikes had hit a house and agricultural land in Rafah, as well as the sectors of Nousseirat and Deir Al-Balah, in the center of the besieged territory. Artillery fire also targeted the southwest of Gaza City, in the north of the enclave.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his determination to destroy Hamas “across the Gaza Strip, including Rafah”, despite the concern of the international community and pressure from its American ally, who disapproves of the operation. Victory over the Palestinian Islamist movement “demands entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen – there is a date”declared Mr. Netanyahu on Monday in a video statement.

The United States strongly reaffirmed its opposition to any major Israeli operation in Rafah on Monday: “We made it clear to Israel that we believed that a massive military invasion of Rafah would have an extremely detrimental effect on these civilians and would ultimately harm Israel’s security.”State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

Thousands of Palestinians returned to Khan Younes

Israeli soldiers withdrew on Sunday from the large city of Khan Younes, the epicenter of fighting for several months, in order to “prepare the continuation of their missions (…) in the Rafah area », on the border with Egypt, declared the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant. Since then, thousands of Palestinians have returned to Khan Younes, on foot, by car or on carts pulled by donkeys. AFP photos showed men, women and children making their way through the ruins of the disfigured city.

US calls on Hamas to accept ceasefire proposal

At the same time, new indirect negotiations for a truce are underway this week between Israel and Hamas, whose officials met in Cairo with mediators from Egypt, the United States and Qatar. The United States said Monday that mediators had presented Hamas with a ceasefire proposal. “The current situation is this: a proposal has been presented to Hamas, and we are waiting [s]a response »argued John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

The talks were ” serious “, but it is too early to say whether they will bear fruit, according to the White House. Israeli and Hamas officials, however, on Monday tempered hopes for a truce and the release of hostages held in Gaza, these new indirect negotiations in Cairo not having made it possible, according to them, to overcome the blockages. “Now it is up to Hamas to (…) shape [la trêve] »John Kirby told the press, refusing to reveal details of this agreement so as not to “torpedo”.

Israeli defense minister says “time is right” for truce

The prospect of a ceasefire puts Benjamin Netanyahu under pressure. His allies within the ruling coalition warn him against making too much concessions to Hamas. “If the prime minister decides to end the war without attacking Rafah in order to defeat Hamas, he will not have a mandate to continue serving as prime minister”warned the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, of the far-right Jewish Force party on Monday.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for his part, judged on Monday “the right moment” to conclude a truce with Hamas, in exchange for the release of the hostages kidnapped during the attack of October 7, 2023. According to Mr. Gallant, “the operational conditions that the Israeli army has created by putting incessant pressure on Hamas and the strong position we find ourselves in after this campaign offer us flexibility and freedom of action.”

During a visit to the United States, centrist Yaïr Lapid also told the press that “ a hostage deal is feasible. It’s a difficult deal, it’s a deal we might not like, but it’s doable and so it has to be done.” Mr. Lapid said the opposition would offer temporary support to Mr. Netanyahu’s right-wing government if the latter approved a deal backed by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, which would provide for the release of hostages held by the Hamas and a truce in the Gaza war, which has entered its seventh month.

“We must ensure that we do our best to avoid harming the people of Gaza. We are not at war against the children of Gaza. Children should not be victims in adults’ wars. On the other hand, we must not forget that we are fighting a terrible terrorist organization that uses them as human shields.”he added again.

At the UN, Israel opposes Palestinian membership

The Israeli ambassador to the UN on Monday virulently denounced the Palestinian request for membership in the international organization, at a time when the Security Council officially begins to examine this approach with more than improbable success. Since 2012, Palestinians have had a status “non-member observer state”. Last week they officially revived a request dating from 2011 to become a full member of the UN.

“The Security Council is currently discussing the recognition of a “Palestinazi” state”launched Gilad Erdan from the podium of the General Assembly, believing that granting this request would be “the most abominable reward for the most abominable crimes”.

Observers, however, doubt that the initiative will pass the Council stage due to the position of the United States which, already in 2011, had opposed this approach. “Our position has not changed”insisted Monday the deputy American ambassador Robert Wood, repeating that the recognition of a Palestinian state must be done within the framework of an agreement with Israel, not at the UN.

“All we ask is to take our rightful place within the community of Nations”pleaded the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, who hopes for a vote by the Security Council on April 18.