Netanyahu vows to stand alone against Hamas amid US ceasefire pressure
5:37 AM EDT, May 11, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel is prepared to confront Hamas independently. This assertion follows U.S. President Joe Biden's warning that he would cease arms shipments to Israel if its forces attack Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Concurrently, efforts to negotiate a ceasefire have stalled.
Israel's stance is unyielding. Prime Minister Netanyahu has firmly stated that nothing will deter Israel's military actions in Rafah, located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
The situation in the border town is dire, with approximately 1.5 million refugees living in catastrophic conditions. The potential devastation of Palestinian lives in Gaza has alarmed experts and even some of Israel's staunchest allies.
"If it's necessary for us to stand alone, we will. We're prepared to fight with everything we have, though thankfully, we have more at our disposal than just our fingernails," said Prime Minister Netanyahu in response to Biden's threats.
The potential for halting arms deliveries becomes inevitable if an attack on Rafah is carried out, according to John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House.
The ongoing offensive, which began on October 7th, has resulted in the deaths of approximately 35,000 Palestinians and injuries to over 78,000.
Stalemate in negotiations
The dialogue between Israel and Hamas aimed at achieving a ceasefire has hit an impasse. According to an anonymous Israeli official speaking to "The Washington Post," the Israeli delegation withdrew from the negotiations last Thursday evening.
Hamas has announced its intention to send its delegation to Doha, the capital of Qatar, and is sticking to a ceasefire proposal it received last week.
Netanyahu hopes to find common ground with Joe Biden on transforming the Gaza Strip into a "demilitarized zone" post-Hamas, overseen by authorities in alignment with Israel.
