Israel’s defense minister Yoav Galant told IDF members to stand at the ready for “intense action” in Rafah, as talks with Hamas to release hostages broke down.
Hamas stands defiant.
“We confirm that any military offensive in Rafah will not be a picnic to the fascist occupation army,” Hamas said in a statement reported by Reuters. “Our brave resistance on top of them, the Qassam Brigades, is fully prepared to defend our people and defeat this enemy, foil its plans and goals.”
Meanwhile, from Israel, Avi Melamed, former intelligence official and author of “Inside the Middle East: Entering a New Era,” said the governments of the West needed to realize that the IDF’s mission was complicated, but necessary.
The Jewish nation, he said, was doing everything possible to evacuate civilians and protect them from harm, while Hamas was simply using them as shields and exploiting them to score political wins and generate sympathy from the West.
For more with Avi Melamed on this latest IDF action, click here.
Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Lockdown: The Socialist Plan To Take Away Your Freedom,” is available by clicking HERE or clicking HERE or CLICKING HERE.
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