Israel Will Have 'No Choice' Except Rafah Offensive

Speaking to a group of US Congress members, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that "victory" in Gaza and "getting" Hamas' senior leadership in the enclave are only "a few weeks away."

In a speech on Wednesday to a cross-party group of Congressmen, Netanyahu declared: "We have eliminated numerous senior Hamas leaders, including the organization's fourth and third leaders." Numbers two and one will be ours. That's the triumph. It's possible to win. A few weeks remain.

In Jerusalem, Netanyahu hosted the congressional delegation and stated that it was "very important to maintain bipartisan support," "especially in these trying times." The Prime Minister's Office reported that the congressional delegation was brought in by the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Prior to its intended attack on the southern Gaza where more than a million people are already seeking refuge, Israel has been under criticism from around the world.

Refugees had earlier been told by Netanyahu that Gaza's displaced Palestinians could "just move" out of Rafah and "move with their tents."

Netanyahu cancelled the government's scheduled trip to Washington earlier this week in protest of the US abstaining from a UN Security Council vote that would have allowed a resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to pass.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have jointly said that an “alternative” option to a major assault on Rafah needs to be taken, since a full-scale assault would endanger civilians and exacerbate the suffering there.