Israel vows there will be a ‘powerful’ Gaza operation if ceasefire talks fail
Israeli defence minister has threatened that the country will order military action in Rafah – where millions of Gazans are sheltering – in the ‘very near future’ if truce talks collapse.
Yoav Gallant today (5 May) warned his government was preparing to launch “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza”.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said he cannot accept Hamas’ demands for an end to the war or the withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu claimed that Israel has shown willingness to make concessions but said it “will continue fighting until all of its objectives are achieved”, which includes the destruction of Hamas.
The latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks ended in Cairo today after “in-depth and serious discussions,” Hamas said, after it reiterated key demands that Israel again rejected.
After signs of progress, the outlook appeared to dim.
Israel also closed the Kerem Shalom crossing – its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza after Hamas attacked it.
Israel did not send a delegation to the talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar, and defence minister Yoav Gallant said that “we see signs that Hamas does not intend to go to any agreement”.
Egyptian state media reported that the Hamas delegation went for discussions in Qatar, where the group has a political office, and will return to Cairo for further negotiations on Tuesday.
Another threat to talks came as Israel ordered the local offices of Qatar’s Al Jazeera satellite news network to close, accusing it of broadcasting anti-Israel incitement. The ban did not appear to affect the channel’s operations in Gaza or the West Bank.
Mr Netanyahu also called the key Hamas demands “extreme”, including the withdrawal of Israel forces from Gaza and an end to the war.
That would equal surrender after the Hamas attack on October 7 that triggered the fighting, Mr Netanyahu said.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a statement earlier said the militant group was serious and positive about the negotiations and that stopping Israeli aggression in Gaza is the main priority.
But Israel’s government again vowed to press on with a military operation in Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents now seek shelter from Israeli attacks. Rafah is a key entry point for aid.
Kerem Shalom, now closed, is another. The Israeli military reported 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its fighter jets later struck the source.
Hamas said it had been targeting Israeli soldiers in the area. Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel said 10 people were wounded, three seriously. It was unclear how long the crossing would be closed.
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, called for an independent investigation and “accountability for the blatant disregard of humanitarian workers”.
He also said Israel this week denied him entry to Gaza for a second time.
The closing of Kerem Shalom came shortly after the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) asserted “full-blown famine” in devastated northern Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet of the toll of restrictions on food and other aid entering the territory.
Israel says it must target Rafah to strike remaining fighters there despite warnings from the US and others about the danger to civilians.
