Israel is no longer interested in making concessions to Palestinian militants, known as, Hamas, and is speeding up for ground operation in Rafah, Gaza following the obvious failure of the latest round of negotiations in Qatar, as disclosed by Lebanese newspaper on Wednesday.
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| Displaced Palestinians next to tents in Al-Shaboura camp, in Rafah, Gaza Strip. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90 via timesofisrael.com |
According to timesofisrael.com:
Following the apparent failure of the latest round of negotiations in Qatar, Israel is not willing to make any further concessions to Hamas and is gearing up for a ground operation in Rafah, a Lebanese newspaper reported Wednesday.
The pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar daily, citing Egyptian sources who were said to have been in contact with Israel Defense Forces officials, reported that the expected offensive would come after Eid al-Fitr — the three-day holiday that follows Ramadan and ends around April 12 — or in early May at the latest.
The ground incursion inside the last bastion of Hamas in the Gaza Strip would last from four to eight weeks, the sources said, and would be accompanied by an evacuation of the civilian population sheltering in Rafah, which amounts to about 1.5 million people, toward the center of the Strip along specific routes and at specific times, announced to civilians in each area of the city in advance.
The mass evacuation would be monitored from the ground and the air to ensure that no Hamas fighters or Israeli hostages are hidden among the Gazan civilians, the Egyptian officials said.
