Israel-Hamas War: Will Netanyahu Take a Step Back From Invading Rafah Amid Rising Pressure From US

Jerusalem: As Israel continues to step up its air strikes in Gaza's Rafah, the United States is building pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas to reach a deal to bring a cease-fire in the seven-month-long war in Gaza. This growing pressure on both sides is also meant to avert Israel's plan to invade Rafah.

This development comes as the Israeli officials told their Egyptian counterparts on Friday, April 27, that it is ready to give hostage negotiations "one last chance" to reach a deal with Hamas. Still, if there isn't any progress soon, it will carry out its ‘all-out assault’ on the southern Gazan city. All eyes now lie on Netanyahu to see if he takes a step back from launching a high-scale invasion of Rafah or not.

Israel on Sunday, April 28, launched airstrikes in Rafah that claimed the lives of 13 people, as per the medical professionals. However, Hamas claimed the death toll to be at 15. 

This attack occurred hours before Netanyahu was scheduled to talk with US President Joe Biden. In the conversation between the two leaders that lasted less than an hour, the White House opposed Israel's plan of invading Rafah on humanitarian grounds, highlighting straining relations between the allies. The White House in a statement highlighted Biden's "clear position" of ending the conflict. This isn't the first time Biden is trying to bring Hamas and Israel to peace, AP reported. 

Earlier this month, negotiations centred on a six-week cease-fire proposal, the release of 40 civilians and sick hostages held by the terror group in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The US President along with 17 other global leaders also wrote to the terror group to release their citizens.

Escalating Tensions in Rafah

Israel's recent attack on southern Gaza City marks it to be the second within a week with the total death toll at 18. On Thursday, five Israeli airstrikes on Rafah hit at least three houses and claimed the lives of at least six people including a local journalist.

Government spokesperson David Mencer said, "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet was meeting "to discuss how to destroy the last vestiges, the last quarter of Hamas' battalions, in Rafah and elsewhere." However, he did not clarify if the classified forum has given the green light for a ground operation in Rafah, Reuters reported. 

The escalation in the middle began last year in October after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel which killed 1,200 people and 253 taken hostage, as per the Israeli officials.