ISRAEL
Barak Ravid at Axios reports that an Israeli official has confirmed that the Israeli delegation has arrived in Cairo for the latest round of indirect talks with Hamas regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza. These latest set of talks come after Israel rejected a previous deal that had beeen approved by Hamas. In a development that could nix any short-term prospect of a lasting ceasefire, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) moved in to take control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt earlier today, marking the first major ground operation within the city of Rafah.
- A number of Israeli allies have continued to warn the Netanyahu gov't against a full-scale military assault on Rafah, due to the prospect of mass civilian casulaties.
- PM Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet approved plans to continue the IDF's operations in and around Rafah at a meeting on 6 May. As Foreign Policy notes, "If Israeli troops do advance into Rafah in an attempt to eradicate the four Hamas battalions believed to be there, experts say they will face a battle-hardened enemy that has the ability to fight and resupply through a vast network of tunnels, all while Israeli troops try to get tens of thousands—if not millions—of civilians out of the way. "
- A ground operation in Rafah could limit the prospect of a lasting ceasefire deal in the coming days, given the Israeli gov'ts objective of removing Hamas from the city as an effective fighting force. Netanyahu does face significant domestic pressure to ensure the release of as many hostagesas possible ASAP.
Map of Southern Gaza
Source: NYT
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