Israel’s war cabinet warned on Sunday (Feb 18) that the Israeli military would launch its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip’s Rafah by March 10 if hostages held by Hamas in the besieged Palestinian territory are not freed within the next few weeks.According to a report by The Times of Israel, war cabinet member Benny Gantz said, “The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know — if by Ramadan our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue everywhere, including the Rafah area.”
Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims, begins this year on March 10.
Addressing a conference in Jerusalem, Gantz spoke further about the offensive, saying that Israel would do so (carry out the offensive) in a coordinated manner, facilitating the evacuation of civilians in dialogue with the United States and Egypt to minimise civilian casualties.