On February 11, the looming spectre of an Israeli incursion into Rafah, the southernmost town in Gaza, remained a pressing concern. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to ensure "safe passage" for civilians who had been displaced there. In an interview broadcast on the same day, Netanyahu reaffirmed his determination to expand Israel's military campaign into the city. Despite widespread international concern regarding the potential devastation in a densely populated area housing over half of Gaza's 2.4 million inhabitants, Netanyahu asserted, "We are committed to taking action."
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#Israel #Netanyahu #RafahOperation #SafePassage #IsraelHamasWar #Palestine #Gaza #MiddleEast #Conflict #PeaceEfforts #HumanitarianAid #MilitaryOperation #InternationalRelations #PoliticalLeadership #Security #PalestinianRights #WarOnTerror #PeacefulResolution #RegionalTensions #GlobalConcern
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NewsTranscript
00:00 On February 11, the looming specter of an Israeli incursion into Rafah, the southernmost
00:06 town in Gaza, remained a pressing concern. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
00:11 vowed to ensure "safe passage" for civilians who had been displaced there. In an interview
00:16 broadcast on the same day, Netanyahu reaffirmed his determination to expand Israel's military
00:21 campaign into the city. Despite widespread international concern regarding the potential
00:26 devastation in a densely populated area housing over half of Gaza's 2.4 million inhabitants,
00:33 Netanyahu asserted, "We are committed to taking action." He conceded he agrees with the Americans
00:39 that the operation will need to first plan for the impact on civilians. "We are going
00:43 to do it while providing safe passage for the civilian population so they can leave,"
00:48 he said. However, the logistics of relocating such a substantial number of people currently
00:54 residing near the border with Egypt in makeshift shelters remains uncertain. When pressed for
01:00 details, Netanyahu remarked that they are actively developing a "comprehensive plan."
01:05 As Israeli forces continue their southward advancement, Rafah stands as the final major
01:10 Gaza city yet to be entered by troops despite enduring near-daily bombardments by airstrikes.
01:16 Mohamed Sedam, a Palestinian resident, expressed his dismay, stating, "They claimed Rafah is
01:22 safe, but the reality proves otherwise. All areas are under attack." This sentiment emerged
01:27 following an Israeli airstrike on February 10, which demolished a police vehicle in Rafah.
01:33 The Israeli premier, who contends victory over Hamas cannot be achieved without clearing
01:37 battalions in Rafah, directed his military on February 9 to prepare for the operation.
01:42 His announcement set off a chorus of concern from world leaders and aid groups. "The people
01:46 in Gaza cannot disappear into thin air," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote
01:52 on social media platform X, adding that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would be a "humanitarian
01:57 catastrophe in the making." Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry warned on February 10 of
02:02 "very serious repercussions" of storming and targeting Rafah and called for an urgent
02:07 United Nations Security Council meeting, while British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said
02:12 he is "deeply concerned" about the prospective offensive.
02:15 The war in Gaza was sparked by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas's unprecedented October
02:20 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians.
02:27 Vowing to eliminate Hamas, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza that
02:32 the territory's health ministry says has killed at least 28,064 people, mostly women
02:38 and children. Militants also seized 250 hostages, 132 of whom are still in Gaza, although 29
02:45 are presumed dead, Israel has said.
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