Israel Approves Rafah Operation, Says Hamas Proposal Is ‘Far From Israel’s Necessary Requirements’

Israel on May 6 said that its war cabinet had decided to proceed with its military offensive in the Gaza city of Rafah and had initiated strikes in the area in preparation for a ground invasion.

The action came hours after Hamas stated that it had accepted an Egyptian–Qatari cease-fire proposal, the details of which are unknown. The terrorist group released a statement that its chief, Ismail Haniyeh, informed Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence chief about accepting the proposal.

Israel, in response, said the proposal fell short of the country’s requirements while vowing to press on with its planned offensive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement declaring Hamas’s proposal to be “far from Israel’s necessary requirements” and that its war cabinet “unanimously decided that Israel continues the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to promote the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war.”

But Israel stated that it would also send a delegation of mediators to “exhaust the possibility of reaching an agreement under conditions acceptable to Israel.”

Moments after the announcement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on X that it was “conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets” in eastern Rafah.

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White House national security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that the United States was reviewing Hamas’s proposal, noting that CIA Director William Burns, who is in Doha in Qatar, was working on this “in real time on the ground,” but Mr. Kirby declined to speak any further “until we know where things stand.”

“We want to get a cease-fire in place for six weeks,” Mr. Kirby said.

Israeli authorities ordered Palestinian civilians to evacuate the eastern part of the city in preparation for a long-anticipated ground invasion. Israel says Rafah is Hamas’s last stronghold. The United States says it opposes a Rafah invasion unless Israel provides a “credible” plan for protecting civilians there.

The IDF released a statement on X stating that a humanitarian area in nearby Al-Mawasi was expanded to accommodate the increased levels of aid entering the region and that civilians in specific areas of eastern Rafah will be guided there. Those calls will be shared in Arabic via flyers, SMS messages, phone calls, and media broadcasts.

“The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that they’re holding in captivity are back home,” the IDF stated.

One of the flyers, translated into English, according to the IDF, states: “The IDF will be operating against the terrorist organizations in the area where you are located, as it has operated until now. Anyone found near terrorist organizations endangers themselves and their family members.”

Airstrikes were reported in the eastern part of Rafah on May 6 before news of Hamas’s acceptance of Egypt and Qatar’s proposal.

“The purpose of the action in Rafah is to destroy the last four battalions of Hamas in Rafah,” Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said. “We cannot leave them there. They’ve stated very very clearly that they will re-form, re-take Gaza, and will carry out Oct 7 again and again and again.”

Mr. Kirby declined to speak to the IDF’s operations or military intentions and plans, directing all questions to them. However, he confirmed that the president and prime minister did not know of the agreed-upon proposal when they spoke this morning.

President Biden “reiterated his clear position” to Mr. Netanyahu on a Rafah invasion during this morning’s call, according to the White House, and Mr. Netanyahu agreed to ensure that the Kerem Shalom crossing would be open for humanitarian assistance.

The president’s position has been that his administration would not support Israel’s operation in Rafah if there is no action plan in place to protect civilians there. He urged the Palestinians to release the more than 130 hostages still held since Hamas launched its attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

He was also visited on May 6 by Jordan’s King Abdullah II. The two leaders shared a lunch during which, according to Mr. Kirby, they talked about the ongoing efforts to secure a hostage deal and ensure more humanitarian aid is received by Gaza citizens. They also discussed the “strong partnership” between their two nations.

But Mr. Netanyahu has also made it clear that the only way to defeat Hamas was to eliminate the “remnant of battalions” in Rafah.

He reaffirmed on April 30 that Rafah remained a military objective.

“The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question,” Mr. Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office. “We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate Hamas’ battalions there—with or without a deal—to achieve the total victory.”

He also said Israel would do it with or without the United States.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, on May 6, declined to speculate on what actions or responses from the United States could be triggered by Israel’s go-ahead with such an operation.

Negotiations for a cease-fire have stalled since a week-long pause was granted in exchange for some of the hostages in November 2023.

Since Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7, 2023, during which the terrorist group took more than 250 hostages and killed 1,200 people, Israel declared war to eradicate the terrorist group. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health claims that more than 34,000 Palestinians have died as a result.

When asked outright if he thought it was a good idea to try and negotiate with terrorists for the release of the hostages, Mr. Kirby said: “You got to negotiate with who you got to negotiate to get people back with their family.

“If there’s a better idea to get those hostages home with their families, I think we’d love to hear them. I just don’t think there’s another way to do it. There’s no other way to do it, quite frankly.”

Reuters, The Associated Press, and Jackson Richman contributed to this report.