ALBAWABA - The Israeli Prime Minister's office said on Monday that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) suggested "a plan to evacuate civilians" from Gaza.
This statement comes after Netanyahu stated that "a ground invasion of the Palestinian territory’s southern city Rafah was necessary for total victory". Foreign governments and relief organizations have consistently expressed concerns that such an operation would result in widespread civilian casualties.
"presented the War Cabinet with a plan for evacuating the population from areas of fighting in the Gaza Strip, and with the upcoming operational plan," the statement from Netanyahu's office said.
More than 1.4 million Palestinians, most of whom have been displaced from other areas of the enclave, have taken refuge in the small town of Rafah.
The statement comes after Egyptian, Qatari, and US "experts" convened in Doha for negotiations that included Israeli and Hamas leaders, according to state-run Egyptian media, in the latest attempt to broker a truce before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The United States, Israel's ally, said continuous mediation efforts had resulted in "an understanding" toward a truce and captive release, while a Hamas source stated the group insisted on Israeli troop pullout.
But Netanyahu, who has described the withdrawal proposal as "delusional", said a ground invasion of Rafah would place Israel within weeks of "total victory" over Hamas, which launched the conflict on October 7.
Amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation, the major UN assistance agency for Palestinians has urged political action to prevent hunger in Gaza.
Dire food shortages in northern Gaza are "a man-made disaster" that may be eased, according to Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA chief, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
"Famine can still be avoided through genuine political will to grant access and protection to meaningful assistance." The UN has stated that it suffers difficulties, particularly in humanitarian delivery to northern Gaza.
Al-Aqsa Flood operation against Israel
Hamas military group announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel which is the biggest offensive in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip and captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The latest statistics by the Ministry of Health in Gaza revealed that the death toll from Israeli brutal pounding on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has soared to 29,410 people, with more than 29,410 injuries.
Since then, approximately 85% of Gazans have been displaced, all of whom are suffering from severe food insecurity, and the healthcare system has collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of people lack shelter, and aid trucks are entering the area at a lower rate than before the conflict began.
