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Edited by: Fern Sidman

In a bold and contentious move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his intention to clear the Rafah area of Gaza from Hamas terrorists, despite strong opposition from the United States. The Jewish News Syndicate reported that the announcement came during a closed-door session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee on Tuesday, where Netanyahu made it unequivocally clear that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) would proceed with the offensive.

“We have no other choice,” Netanyahu asserted, emphasizing the necessity of eliminating what he referred to as “battalions” of Hamas terrorists in the Rafah area near the Egyptian border. According to the information provided in the JNS report, the prime minister disclosed that the United States had expressly requested that Israel refrain from launching a major military offensive in the region, favoring instead a more limited operation targeting high-value Hamas targets and securing the Gaza-Egypt border.

However, Netanyahu’s stance remains unyielding. “I made it clear to the president in our conversation, in the clearest way, that we are determined to complete the elimination of these battalions in Rafah. And there is no way to do it other than the entrance ground of ground forces,” he stated during the committee meeting, underscoring the necessity of deploying ground forces to achieve the objective.

The friction between the Israeli and U.S. administrations was further highlighted in a phone conversation between Netanyahu and President Biden on Monday, their first in over a month. The report on the JNS web site said that President Biden conveyed his inability to support a large-scale military operation in Rafah, urging Israel to pursue a more targeted approach. However, Netanyahu’s commitment to clearing Rafah of the Hamas terrorist infrastructure remains unwavering, defying the preferences expressed by the Biden administration.

“We have a debate with the Americans over the need to enter Rafah, not over the need to eliminate Hamas, but the need to enter Rafah,” Netanyahu said during the closed-door session on Tuesday, according to a report on the World Israel News web site.

“We see no way to eliminate Hamas militarily without destroying these remaining battalions. We are determined to do this,” he added.

The Israeli premier also pointed out that the Biden administration is targeting him over his opposition to Palestinian statehood, WIN reported.

“The American attacks are focused on me, because I am blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu defended his refusal to back Palestinian statehood, and to permit the Palestinian Authority leadership in Ramallah to reestablish control over the Gaza Strip after the current war with Hamas.

“The uncompromising aspiration of the entire Palestinian leadership in all its forms is the elimination of Zionism,” the prime minister declared.

WIN also reported that he emphasized that the IDF must maintain full security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River. “Between the Jordan and the sea, the only security control in any situation must be Israel’s.”

In response to queries regarding President Biden’s stance, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan clarified during Monday’s White House daily press briefing that while the President opposed a military offensive in Rafah, he did not threaten to cut off military aid to Israel during the call, as per the information contained in the JNS report. Sullivan dismissed the notion that the administration’s purported “red lines” were indicative of a shift in policy, branding it as a media fabrication.

“The president has rejected, and did again today, the strawman that raising questions about Rafah is the same as raising questions about defeating Hamas,” Sullivan reiterated, as was reported by JNS. He emphasized that the U.S. remains steadfast in its commitment to combating Hamas terrorism despite its reservations about the proposed operation in Rafah.

“But a major ground operation there would be a mistake,” Sullivan cautioned, expressing concerns over the potential escalation of civilian casualties, exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis, and further isolation of Israel on the international stage.

Netanyahu, however, remains resolute in his position. “We see no way to eliminate Hamas militarily without destroying these remaining battalions. We are determined to do it,” Netanyahu asserted during the Tuesday meeting with lawmakers.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s approval of the Israel Defense Forces’ operational plans for Rafah signals a significant escalation in the conflict, with preparations underway for the next stage of the war, according to the JNS report. Simultaneously, efforts are being made to facilitate the evacuation of Gazan civilians from the embattled city, underscoring the complexities of balancing military objectives with humanitarian considerations.

Furthermore, Netanyahu outlined Israel’s strategic objectives regarding the Philadelphi Corridor, stressing the necessity of maintaining control over the 8.7-mile-long strip separating the Gaza Strip from the Sinai Peninsula, the JNS report pointed out. Additionally, plans are underway to establish a new border crossing at the Kerem Shalom Israel-Gaza-Egypt triangle, with Israel asserting its intention to have full control over the crossing to replace the existing Rafah crossing with Egypt.

Netanyahu has also reiterated Israel’s commitment to preventing a humanitarian disaster in Gaza while addressing concerns regarding aid distribution, the role of the Palestinian Authority, and security measures in the region.

Netanyahu highlighted Israel’s efforts to provide aid to Gaza despite challenges posed by Hamas interference. “We are checking how to distribute the aid through non-local entities because Hamas thwarted the attempts to distribute it through locals. Private companies are also being checked,” Netanyahu stated, as was noted in the JNS report.  He also underscored the obstacles faced in delivering humanitarian assistance directly to the people of Gaza.

In response to the deteriorating security situation in Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu announced plans to reinforce security measures, including the reinstatement of checkpoints by the Israeli military. “I asked the army to come up with a plan to respect the checkpoints in the West Bank,” Netanyahu stated, as was indicated in the JNS report.

On Monday, JNS reported that an Israeli airstrike in Gaza claimed the life of senior Hamas commander Marwan Issa. The strike, which targeted Hamas leadership in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on the night of March 9, has raised concerns about escalating violence in the region.

During the White House press briefing on Monday, Sullivan confirmed the death of Marwan Issa, describing him as “Hamas’s number three.” Sullivan’s remarks underscored the severity of the blow dealt to Hamas leadership by the Israeli operation. “The rest of the top leaders are in hiding, likely deep in the Hamas tunnel network, and justice will come for them too. We are helping to ensure that,” Sullivan added, the JNS report said.

While Jerusalem has yet to officially confirm Issa’s death, reports from security officials indicate that the targeted strike was successful. Palestinian sources, cited by Israel’s Kan News, privately confirmed Issa’s death and revealed that he was hiding in a tunnel at the time of the airstrike, the report on the JNS web site indicated. Additionally, Razi Abu Tomeh, commander of Hamas’s Central Camp Brigade, was also reportedly killed in the strike, further weakening Hamas’s military leadership.

The JNS reported noted that the IDF announced on Tuesday afternoon that a second soldier was killed in action during a targeted raid on Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

The loss of Warrant Officer (res.) Sebastian Haion, 51, from Rosh Ha’ayin, brings the death toll since the start of the Gaza ground operation on Oct. 27 to 251 and to 594 since the start of the war on Oct. 7.

Israeli special forces have intensified their operations in the vicinity of the Shifa medical center compound in Gaza as part of a targeted raid launched early Monday, JNS reported. Intelligence reports indicated that Hamas terrorists had regrouped in the area, prompting the IDF to take decisive action.

A military source revealed to Walla! News that the IDF’s operations are not limited to the medical center itself but also encompass the surrounding area, where it is believed that numerous Hamas terrorists could be hiding, according to the information in the JNS report.

Since the commencement of the operation at Shifa, the IDF has reported significant success in neutralizing terrorist threats. According to official figures, over 50 terrorists have been killed, and approximately 180 suspects have been apprehended, as was indicated in the JNS report. The military has emphasized that these operations are conducted with utmost care to minimize harm to civilians, patients, medical personnel, and equipment.

In a joint statement released on Monday afternoon, the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) announced a major breakthrough in the operation. According to the JNS report, troops succeeded in eliminating Faiq Mabhuoch, head of Hamas’s Operations Directorate within its Internal Security apparatus. Mabhuoch was responsible for coordinating terrorist activities in the Gaza Strip, making his elimination a significant blow to Hamas’s operational capabilities.

“Faiq Mabhuoch was eliminated in an encounter with the troops while armed and hiding in a compound at Shifa Hospital, from which he operated and advanced terrorist activity. Numerous weapons were located in the room adjacent to where he was eliminated,” the IDF and Shin Bet stated in a joint release, as was reported by the JNS. The operation underscored Israel’s commitment to dismantling Hamas’ vast infrastructure and neutralizing key figures within the organization.

However, the operation was not without its challenges. According to reports from the army, Hamas forces resorted to firing on Israeli troops from within the hospital premises, using patients as human shields in a blatant disregard for civilian lives, as per the information in the JNS report. The IDF’s response to such tactics resulted in another soldier sustaining light injuries during the raid, highlighting the risks faced by Israeli forces in confronting Hamas terrorist threats.

In addition to the targeted raid at Shifa Hospital, the IDF conducted aerial attacks in Al Qarara, north of Khan Yunis, resulting in the elimination of terrorists and the destruction of the Hamas terrorist infrastructure. The strikes represent a broader effort by Israeli security forces to root out Hamas terrorist elements and safeguard the security of Israeli citizens amidst escalating tensions in the region.

In related developments, it was also reported on Tuesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken is embarking on a crucial diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia and Egypt this week, aiming to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas amidst escalating tensions in the region, JNS said. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed Blinken’s itinerary, highlighting the urgency of securing an immediate ceasefire agreement and intensifying international efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Blinken’s itinerary includes talks in Jeddah on Wednesday followed by discussions in Cairo on Thursday. According to the information provided in the JNS report, Miller emphasized that the discussions would focus on multiple fronts, including securing the release of all remaining hostages, increasing humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and coordinating post-conflict planning to ensure Hamas’s incapacity to govern or perpetrate further attacks.

“The secretary will discuss efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire agreement that secures the release of all remaining hostages, intensified international efforts to increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and coordination on post-conflict planning for Gaza, including ensuring Hamas can no longer govern or repeat the attacks of Oct. 7,” Miller stated while accompanying Blinken in the Philippines on Tuesday.

Confirming the mission, Blinken reiterated the imperative of finding a sustainable solution to the conflict and addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. “We’ve also impressed upon Israel the imperative of having a plan for Gaza for when the conflict ends, which we hope will be as soon as possible, consistent with Israel’s needs to defend itself and make sure Oct. 7 can never happen again,” Blinken affirmed, the report added.