Far-right Israeli ministers threaten Netanyahu if Rafah not attacked

By Said Amori and Cagri Kosak

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli far-right ministers threatened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an overthrow of his government unless there is an attack on Rafah, according to media reports Saturday.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to withdraw from the government unless there is a land invasion in Rafah, said Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

The reason for Smotrich and Ben-Gvir's attack on Netanyahu was due to the stalled progress on a cease-fire.

The two ministers claimed that if the occupation of Rafah was abandoned, the responsibilities for Israel's security would not be fulfilled.

Israel insists on launching a ground offensive in Rafah, claiming that it is "the last stronghold of Hamas," despite increasing international warnings of catastrophic repercussions, in light of the presence of 1.4 million displaced people there.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.

Nearly 34,400 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 77,400 injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.​​​​​​​

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar