Israel vows to confront Hamas, amid stalled ceasefire talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is prepared to confront Hamas alone. This statement followed US President Joe Biden's warning that he would stop arms deliveries if Israel attacked Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, ceasefire negotiations have come to a standstill.
Israel remains steadfast. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphatically stated that nothing will prevent the Israeli military from advancing further into the southern regions of the Gaza Strip, targeting Rafah.
In the border town, nearly 1.5 million refugees are living in dire conditions. Experts, along with Israel's main allies, are appalled at the prospect of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip being decimated.
If we must stand alone, we will. Even if it means fighting by ourselves, we'll do so. If necessary, we will fight tooth and nail. Luckily, we've got a bit more up our sleeves than just tooth and nail – said the Prime Minister of Israel, in response to Biden's cautions.
John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesperson, stated that a strike on Rafah would inevitably force Biden to consider halting arms shipments.
In the ongoing Israeli operation since October 7th, around 35,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, with more than 78,000 others sustaining injuries.
Stalemate in Negotiations
The ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have hit a dead-end. According to an anonymous Israeli official speaking to "The Washington Post", the Israeli delegation withdrew from the negotiations on Thursday evening.
Hamas has announced that it will send its delegation to Doha, the capital of Qatar, and stick to the ceasefire proposal it received last week.
Netanyahu is hopeful that he can reach an agreement with Joe Biden. The Prime Minister of Israel envisions the Gaza Strip as a "demilitarized zone" after defeating Hamas, to be governed by authorities aligned with Israel.
