Netanyahu: IDF Operation in Rafah Must Finish by March 10

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed his War Cabinet that the military operations in Rafah must conclude before the beginning of Ramadan on March 10, according to information given to CNN by an Israeli official on Saturday.

Netanyahu’s administration released a statement on Friday indicating his instruction to the military to prepare for evacuating residents from Rafah.

Furthermore, Netanyahu highlighted on Thursday that the IDF is poised to initiate operations in Rafah, which is recognized as Hamas’s final stronghold.

It is estimated by the United Nations that over 1.3 million individuals are currently in Rafah, with the majority being refugees from other areas of Gaza.

Residents of Rafah and those displaced from other parts of Gaza expressed to CNN their fear and the lack of alternative places to go if the Israeli military proceeds with its plan to enter the city situated in the southern part of the Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border.

The United Nations has expressed significant concern regarding the well-being of civilians in Rafah, with UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric voicing this concern on Friday. Additionally, UN Humanitarian Chief Martin Griffiths warned about the dire situation, stating, “There’s nowhere left to go in Gaza,” and emphasized the necessity of protecting civilians and ensuring their basic needs such as shelter, food, and healthcare are met.