( NYPost )
Israel has begun its military operation into Rafah after rejecting Hamas’ cease-fire claim as a deception.
“IDF forces are now attacking and operating against the targets of the terrorist organization Hamas in a targeted manner in Rafah,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Monday night local time.
The world’s eyes are now on the southern city in the Gaza Strip, where more than 1 million Palestinians have taken refuge while fleeing war elsewhere in the territory.
Following Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh’s announcement that a deal was accepted, Israeli officials told multiple outlets that the deal presented to the terror group was a “softened” version of what was really on the table and is not being taken seriously by Jerusalem.
One official told Reuters that the announcement was a clear ruse by the terror group to create backlash against Israel for refusing a deal, and officials told KANN TV that the announcement of a cease-fire agreement was a “Hamas deception.”
Late Monday, Israel’s war cabinet unanimously agreed to launch the operations — despite the strenuous objections of the Biden Administration.
The news of Hamas’ acceptance of a cease-fire deal immediately triggered celebrations across Gaza, where Palestinians cheered and chanted “Allahu Akbar” in the streets.
Israel has repeatedly rejected any cease-fire deal that calls for an end to the war, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that the conflict will only end once Hamas has been eradicated and Gaza proves to no longer be a threat to the Jewish State.
Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing parts of Rafah after Israel issued warnings it was planning to start military action.
President Biden has repeatedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to go ahead with the Rafah offensive unless the IDF could secure the safety of the civilians.
Biden had “reiterated his clear position on Rafah” during a call with Netanyahu on Monday morning, according to a White House statement.
During the call, Netanyahu also agreed to keep the Kerem Shalom crossing open to allow humanitarian aid to go through after closing the passage over the weekend following Hamas’ attack.