Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Netanyahu Vows to Invade Rafah, Which US Calls a Mistake
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 12 months ago on
April 8, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Monday escalated his pledge to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which is densely packed with about 1.4 million Palestinians. (AP File)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has escalated his pledge to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which is filled with around 1.4 million Palestinians, most of whom are displaced from other parts of the Gaza Strip.

“It will happen. There is a date,” Netanyahu declared in a video statement Monday, without elaborating.

The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has said a ground operation into Rafah would be a mistake and has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Netanyahu spoke as Israeli negotiators are in Cairo discussing international efforts to broker a cease-fire deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israeli troops withdrew Sunday from Khan Younis, another city in southern Gaza, ending a key phase of the war. Defense officials say they’re regrouping ahead of a push into Rafah.

Will Israel Evacuate Civilians Ahead of Invasion?

Palestinians who visited Khan Younis on Monday say the city is now unlivable, offering them little immediate chance to return. Many have been sheltering in Rafah.

An Israeli official confirmed that Israel is purchasing 40,000 tents to prepare for the evacuation of Palestinians from Rafah. In addition, Israel has said it has a plan to evacuate civilians ahead of its offensive.

Palestinian Death Toll Surpasses 33,000

Palestinian deaths from the war have passed 33,200, with nearly 76,000 wounded, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tally, but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.

The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.

 

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Torpedo-Shaped Bats Draw Attention After Yankees Hit Team-Record 9 Homers

DON'T MISS

Silver Fire Grows to 1,250 Acres, Threatens Homes in Inyo County

DON'T MISS

3 Kids Killed in Michigan When Tree Hits Vehicle During Weekend Storm

DON'T MISS

March Madness Guide: All No. 1 Seeds in Final Four After Houston and Auburn Win

DON'T MISS

Trump Family Pushes Further Into Crypto, Starting Another Venture

DON'T MISS

Justice Department Instructed to Dismiss Legal Challenge to Georgia Election Law

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest 12 for DUI, Plan More Enforcement Operations

DON'T MISS

A Stroke Survivor Speaks Again With the Help of an Experimental Brain-Computer Implant

DON'T MISS

Collision Leaves Two Dead, Several Injured After Clovis Police Chase

DON'T MISS

Israeli Military Orders the Evacuation of Gaza’s Southern City of Rafah

UP NEXT

Silver Fire Grows to 1,250 Acres, Threatens Homes in Inyo County

UP NEXT

3 Kids Killed in Michigan When Tree Hits Vehicle During Weekend Storm

UP NEXT

March Madness Guide: All No. 1 Seeds in Final Four After Houston and Auburn Win

UP NEXT

Trump Family Pushes Further Into Crypto, Starting Another Venture

UP NEXT

Justice Department Instructed to Dismiss Legal Challenge to Georgia Election Law

UP NEXT

A Stroke Survivor Speaks Again With the Help of an Experimental Brain-Computer Implant

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest 12 for DUI, Plan More Enforcement Operations

UP NEXT

Collision Leaves Two Dead, Several Injured After Clovis Police Chase

UP NEXT

Israeli Military Orders the Evacuation of Gaza’s Southern City of Rafah

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: William Rodriguez Garcia

March Madness Guide: All No. 1 Seeds in Final Four After Houston and Auburn Win

51 minutes ago

Trump Family Pushes Further Into Crypto, Starting Another Venture

1 hour ago

Justice Department Instructed to Dismiss Legal Challenge to Georgia Election Law

1 hour ago

Fresno Police Arrest 12 for DUI, Plan More Enforcement Operations

1 hour ago

A Stroke Survivor Speaks Again With the Help of an Experimental Brain-Computer Implant

1 hour ago

Collision Leaves Two Dead, Several Injured After Clovis Police Chase

2 hours ago

Israeli Military Orders the Evacuation of Gaza’s Southern City of Rafah

2 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: William Rodriguez Garcia

2 hours ago

Stock Markets Around the World Tumble as Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Approaches

2 hours ago

Yum Brands CEO Announces Plans to Retire in 2026

2 hours ago

Torpedo-Shaped Bats Draw Attention After Yankees Hit Team-Record 9 Homers

NEW YORK — New torpedo bats drew attention when the New York Yankees hit a team-record nine homers that traveled a combined 3,695 feet on Sa...

7 minutes ago

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. prepares to bat during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in New York. (AP/Pamela Smith)
7 minutes ago

Torpedo-Shaped Bats Draw Attention After Yankees Hit Team-Record 9 Homers

The Silver Fire has burned 1,250 acres near Bishop with 0% containment, prompting evacuations as strong winds hamper firefighting efforts. (CalFire)
32 minutes ago

Silver Fire Grows to 1,250 Acres, Threatens Homes in Inyo County

A large tree rests on top of a mobile home at Millwood Estates on East Cork Street after a storm Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Kalamazoo, Mich. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)
51 minutes ago

3 Kids Killed in Michigan When Tree Hits Vehicle During Weekend Storm

Houston's Kelvin Sampson
51 minutes ago

March Madness Guide: All No. 1 Seeds in Final Four After Houston and Auburn Win

1 hour ago

Trump Family Pushes Further Into Crypto, Starting Another Venture

Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Justice Department, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP File)
1 hour ago

Justice Department Instructed to Dismiss Legal Challenge to Georgia Election Law

1 hour ago

Fresno Police Arrest 12 for DUI, Plan More Enforcement Operations

This photo provided by researchers at UCSF and UC Berkeley shows Ann, a participant in a study on speech neuroprostheses, in California in 2023. (Noah Berger/UCSF, UC Berkeley via AP)
1 hour ago

A Stroke Survivor Speaks Again With the Help of an Experimental Brain-Computer Implant

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend