Monday saw the military of Israel present a plan for “evacuating” civilians from the Gaza Strip, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that “total victory” required a ground invasion of the southern Palestinian city of Rafah.
Fears that such an operation may result in widespread civilian casualties in Rafah, where some 1.4 million Palestinians, the majority of whom have been displaced from other places, have been voiced by foreign governments and aid organizations on several occasions.
Additionally, it serves as the entry point for humanitarian aid that is transported in via Egypt, a neighbor.
According to a statement from Netayahu’s office released in Hebrew on Monday, Israel’s military “presented the War Cabinet with a plan for evacuating the population from areas of fighting in the Gaza Strip, and with the upcoming operational plan”.
The statement did not give any details about how or where the civilians would be moved.
According to state-affiliated Egyptian media, the statement follows a meeting in Doha between Egyptian, Qatari, and US “experts” and Israeli and Hamas leaders. This was an attempt to broker a ceasefire ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
While a Hamas source stated that the organization insisted on the evacuation of Israeli forces, Israel’s partner the United States claimed that continuous mediation attempts resulted in “an understanding” towards a ceasefire and captive release.
Netanyahu, however, stated that Israel will achieve “total victory” over Hamas, which launched on October 7th, within weeks of launching a ground invasion of Rafah.
“If we have a (truce) deal, it will be delayed somewhat, but it will happen,” he said of the ground invasion in an interview with CBS Sunday.
“It has to be done because total victory is our goal and total victory is within reach — not months away, weeks away, once we begin the operation.”
Amid a spiralling humanitarian crisis, the main UN aid agency for Palestinians urged political action to avert famine in Gaza.
Dire food shortages in northern Gaza are “a man-made disaster” that can be mitigated, said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
“Famine can still be avoided through genuine political will to grant access and protection to meaningful assistance.”
The UN has said it faces restrictions, particularly on aid deliveries to northern Gaza.
The Doha talks follow a weekend meeting in Paris, without Gaza rulers Hamas, where representatives “came to an understanding among the four of them about what the basic contours of a hostage deal for temporary ceasefire would look like”, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN.
A Hamas source told AFP that “some new amendments” were proposed on contentious issues, but “Israel did not present any substantive position on the terms of the ceasefire and the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip”.
Netanyahu has dismissed the troop withdrawal demand as “delusional”.
