Israeli PM Netanyahu Reiterates Intent To Begin Military Operations In Rafah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his stand on Sunday to begin military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, stating that Israel wants to ensure that an attack similar to October 7 won’t happen again, as reported by CNN.

“We’ll go there. We’re not going to leave. You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is? That October 7 doesn’t happen again. Never happens again. And to do that, we have to complete the destruction of the Hamas terrorist army,” he said.

Is Netanyahu’s Policy Hurting Israel?

Netanyahu said the operation would not last more than two months but did not provide specifics on the timeline.

The Israeli PM also defended his policies in the Gaza Strip and responded to US President Joe Biden’s remark that the Israeli leader is “hurting Israel more than helping.”

“I don’t know exactly what the president meant, but if he meant by that, that I’m pursuing private policies against the wish of the majority of Israelis, and that this is hurting the interests of Israel then he’s wrong on both counts,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Politico and German media outlet Bild, CNN reported.

Joe Biden’s Remarks Over Israel

Biden made his remarks during an interview with MSNBC that aired Saturday when he said Netanyahu “must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken” in Gaza.