Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “no force in the world” will stop the IDF’s looming advancement into Rafah, the Gaza Strip’s most populous city harboring more than 1 million Palestinian refugees.
Netanyahu was addressing new IDF recruits on Tuesday when he assured the soldiers that Israel will eradicate Hamas over the Oct. 7 massacre despite mounting pressure from the US and other world leaders to hold off on an invasion in Rafah until a robust civilian evacuation plan is secured.
“We will complete the elimination of the Hamas battalions, including in Rafah,” Netanyahu said of the city believed to be the operating site of four of the remaining six battalions.
“There is no force in the world that will stop us,” he added. “Many forces are trying to do this, but it will not help, because this enemy, after what it has done, will not do it again. It will cease to exist.”
The prime minister went on to tell the troops that Israel’s top goal remains the safe return of all the 133 hostages who remain in Gaza.
US officials believe five of the remaining hostages are American citizens, though it is unclear whether they are alive, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Israeli officials.
Netanyahu added that the next two goals for the IDF would be the eradication of Hamas and to ensure that Gaza is no longer a threat to Israel.
Netanyahu’s warning comes just a day after he claimed that there was a set date for the Rafah incursion, which had previously been delayed following international pressure and the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Rafah is home to an estimated 1.4 million refugees, the majority of whom traveled there to seek safety from the intense fighting up north and now lie stuck between the conflict zone and the Egyptian border.
US officials have repeatedly told Netanyahu that a thorough plan must be set in place to evacuate civilians from Rafah before the IDF confronts Hamas in the city.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday that Israel’s proposals so far to avoid civilian casualties in the southern city and secure aid deliveries are not enough.
“Recent efforts must be just the starting point for a sustained Israeli commitment to ensure the people of Gaza have their basic needs met,” Miller said, noting that the US has not been briefed on a date for Israel’s campaign in Rafah.
