Israel has date picked out for 'eliminating terrorist battalions' in Rafah ground invasion

A date has been set for Israel’s ground invasion of Rafah, the remaining city of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli prime minister has said.

Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his pledge to invade southern Gaza in a video statement, declaring: “It will happen. There is a date.” He has repeatedly said Israel must send ground forces into Rafah, saying it is Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza.

The international community, including the US, opposes the operation, saying the roughly 1.4 million civilians seeking shelter there will be in danger. Israel has insisted it has a plan to protect the civilians. Netanyahu said the Rafah operation is essential for “victory,” without elaborating.

Palestinian families return to their houses left amid rubble and devastating destruction after Israeli forces’ withdrawal from Khan Yunis

The US, Israel’s closest ally, has said a ground operation into Rafah would be a mistake and has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Netanyahu spoke as Israeli negotiators are in Cairo discussing international efforts to broker a cease-fire deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israeli troops withdrew Sunday from Khan Younis, another city in southern Gaza, ending a key phase of the war. Defense officials say they’re regrouping ahead of a push into Rafah. Palestinians who visited Khan Younis on Monday said the city is now unlivable, offering them little immediate chance to return. Many have been sheltering in Rafah.

The Palestinian death toll from the war has passed 33,200, with nearly 76,000 wounded, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tally but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

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Meanwhile, Egyptian officials said Tuesday that mediators have presented a new cease-fire proposal to Hamas and Israel that would include a six-week pause in fighting and a swap of 40 Hamas-held hostages for at least 700 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The proposal was presented to delegations from Hamas and Israel during the latest round of negotiations in Cairo over the weekend, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations.

Kidney patients rest on the beds on a wedding hall where they had to be transferred due to the lack of space in hospitals by the decision of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Rafah, Gaza

Among the Palestinian prisoners to be freed would be dozens convicted of killing Israelis during attacks by militant groups. The officials said Hamas would be required to provide a list of the hostages it will release, as well as a list of Palestinian prisoners whose freedom it seeks.

The proposal also includes the return of a significant number of Palestinians to northern Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled the northern half of Gaza in the early stages of the war, heeding Israeli evacuation orders. The vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are now crammed into the southern half.

The proposal stipulates that Israel gradually dismantle checkpoints it had built on a new road that split the strip in half to prevent the return of Palestinians to the north. Hamas has said it is reviewing the proposal.