Global Tensions Mount as Israel Considers Offensive in Rafah

Countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United States are criticizing the planned IDF ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has ordered troops to evacuate the city’s civilian population as well as the one million refugees currently residing there. He claims that the assault on Rafah is critical in obliterating Hamas, Israel’s stated war aim. On Sunday in a 45-minute phone call, US President Biden told Netanyahu that Israel should not go ahead with this military operation in such a populated city without a credible plan to protect civilian life. Egyptian officials warn that military escalation in Rafah may result in the suspension of the Camp David Accords, a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel that was signed in 1979. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi agrees that the offensive is unwise due to a lack of coordination with Egypt and no plan for millions of refugees. Hamas issued a statement on Saturday, saying that the fighting in Rafah would lead to tens of thousands of casualties, and that they’d hold the American administration, Israeli Defense Force, and international community accountable.