Falling support for Netanyahu fuels speculation of military action in Rafah, polls report
In their current roles as the Israeli defence minister and former chief of staff, Gantz seems to have bigger support from the polls. If the election were to occur, then the centre-right National Unity, which is Gantz's party, would receive twice as much support as Netanyahu's party, Likud.
18 February 2024 13:42
The precarious situation that Netanyahu finds himself in seems to press him towards attacking Rafah, a city situated at the extreme south of the Gaza Strip, on the border with Egypt. This decision is made in hopes of obtaining better poll results. However, the generals and the pragmatic faction of the war cabinet, under the leadership of Gantz, seem to lean towards resuming negotiations on the release of hostages for the time being.
Despite Rafah being a key Hamas stronghold, the potential cost of launching an attack on this city could be immense for over a million Palestinians who have sought refuge there from the ongoing conflict. In addition, it could exacerbate relations between Israel and Egypt, warns the 'Economist'.
Currently, talks on releasing hostages and a ceasefire are at a stalemate. On Saturday, during a press conference in Jerusalem, the Israeli prime minister stated that Hamas, which is demanding the removal of troops from the Gaza Strip, "lives in illusions", and Israel has no plans to relinquish military pressure.
There was a demonstration on Saturday in Tel Aviv. The participants consider the Prime Minister's decision not to send an Israeli delegation to negotiations in Cairo to be a "death sentence" for those hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip. They are also pushing for the quickest possible elections.
