Israel vows to launch Rafah offensive if hostages aren’t freed by next month

Israel is prepared to launch a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah by the time the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins next month if the remaining hostages are not released, a senior official warned over the weekend.

“The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know: If by Ramadan, our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue to the Rafah area,” Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, told American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem on Sunday.

“To those saying the price is too high, I say this very clearly: Hamas has a choice — they can surrender, release the hostages, and this way, the residents of Gaza can celebrate the holy holiday of Ramadan.”

The holy month is scheduled to begin on March 10.

If by then the hostages aren’t released, Gantz pledged that the military would facilitate the evacuation of Gazan civilians in coordination with the US and Egypt to minimize casualties, as Egyptian officials build a wall to keep Palestinian refugees out.

Gantz’s comments came just one day after Israel’s hostages and missing persons coordinator claimed that the remaining 100 hostages are being held in Rafah.

“Rafah has many people there that Hamas uses right now as human shields,” Gal Hirsch told CNN’s Alex Marquadt.

“We are doing our best — everything we can, everything that is possible, to avoid collateral damage. But Rafah must be next because we must release our hostages.”

Many in the international community have urged Israeli officials not to attack Rafah, because more than 1 million Palestinians fled to the city in the southern part of the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military focused its efforts on the northern and central areas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment on any potential timeline for a ground assault on the southern Gaza city, but dismissed growing international calls to halt the military offensive as he vowed to “finish the job” on Sunday.

He has previously said that a ground operation in Rafah is essential to eliminate Hamas’ remaining troops and argued that those calling for Israel to stay out of the area are essentially calling for Israel to lose the war.

Israel’s cabinet even adopted a declaration Sunday saying it “categorically rejects international edicts on a permanent arrangement with the Palestinians” and opposes any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

Hamas officials, though, have said they will not release any of the remaining hostages without Israel ending the war and withdrawing from Gaza.

The terrorist group is also demanding the release of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, including top militants.

With Post wires