Israel has informed the United States that it has no choice but to attack Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza, due to Hamas's refusal to agree to a ceasefire.
On the 6th (local time), the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that Minister Yoav Galant conveyed this position during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin the previous night.
Residents are walking between buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, the central city of the Gaza Strip. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Minister Galant explained the situation in which about ten rockets were fired from Rafah, considered Hamas's last stronghold, toward the Kerem Shalom border crossing in southern Israel, causing casualties, and conveyed this stance.
Galant told Secretary Austin, "Israel has made great efforts for the release of hostages and a temporary ceasefire, but Hamas still refuses the proposal," adding, "There are no options left, and this means the start of the attack on Rafah."
The Israeli Ministry of Defense stated, "Minister Galant expressed gratitude for the close cooperation with the United States and emphasized that the U.S. played a crucial role in advancing the hostage release negotiations."
Earlier, the Israeli military announced that it had begun evacuating some of the approximately 1.4 million civilians residing in Rafah.
The Israeli military advised refugees in the eastern area of Rafah to evacuate to safe zones toward the coast and plans to inform them of evacuation details through leaflets, SMS, and phone calls.
Hamas, through mediation by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, demanded an end to hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli forces as conditions for a ceasefire during talks that began on the 4th in Cairo, Egypt. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained a firm stance that these demands are absolutely unacceptable.
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