
Israel has warned that its army will launch an assault on Rafah if Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are not released by the start of Ramadan, continuing to defy international calls to protect the estimated 1.4 million Palestinians sheltered there. .
As any remaining hope for a ceasefire fades, several countries in the international community are deeply concerned about the consequences of a large-scale ground operation in Rafah, which has turned into a sprawling IDP camp, on the border of closed with Egypt.
"If by Ramadan the hostages are not at home, fighting will continue everywhere, including the Rafah region," said Benny Gantz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wartime government and former chief of the national defense general staff. of Israel. "Hamas has a choice. (Its members) can surrender, release the hostages, and civilians in Gaza will be able to celebrate Ramadan," he added during a speech at a conference of presidents of major American Jewish organizations in Jerusalem.
Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims, is expected to begin around Sunday, March 10. During Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel by members of its military wing on October 7, around 250 people were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli sources, more than 130 Israeli hostages remain in their hands - although a military spokesman recently said at least 31 of them are believed to be dead.