JERUSALEM/CAIRO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Tuesday that if the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Cairo fail, Israel will escalate its military assault on the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah.
He said that Israel "is ready for compromise in order to bring the hostages back home." However, he added that if no progress is made, "we will deepen the operation throughout the Gaza Strip."
In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed pessimism about the prospect of reaching a deal. He said that the deal proposal, brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators and approved by Hamas on Monday, was "very far from Israel's essential requirements."
CEASEFIRE TALKS UNDERWAY
Gallant made the remarks amid intense efforts to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Delegations from Hamas, Israel, Qatar and the United States arrived in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Tuesday in an effort to reach a ceasefire deal, Egypt's state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV channel reported.
The Israeli delegation, which arrived in Cairo on Tuesday afternoon, included members of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and Shin Bet security agency, an Egyptian source who asked to remain anonymous told Xinhua.
In the video statement, Netanyahu said he had instructed the delegation to "continue to stand firm on the conditions necessary for the release of our hostages, continue to stand firm on the essential requirements to ensure Israel's security."
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on both Israel and Hamas to end the ongoing conflict.
"An agreement between the government of Israel and the leadership of Hamas is essential to stop the unbearable suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and of the hostages and their families," Guterres noted.
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's wartime Cabinet, also emphasized the urgency of reaching a deal. "The delegation not only has the mandate to listen but also the obligation to act for an agreement to free the hostages," he stated.
Cairo, Doha and Washington mediated a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas that ended in late November 2023, which included a swap between Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages and more humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza.
ONGOING ATTACKS ON GAZA
Gallant's warning came hours after Israeli tanks and warplanes stormed Rafah, where about 1.4 million displaced people have sought refuge from bombardments elsewhere, according to estimates by the United Nations.
Residents reported heavy bombardments. According to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, at least 20 Palestinians were killed. The Israeli army said that those killed were militants.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army wrote on social media platform X that four mortar shells and two rockets were launched from Rafah toward Israeli territory, triggering sirens in the Kerem Shalom area. However, no injuries or damages were reported.
The Israeli army announced on Tuesday it had attained "operational" control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing, following what it described as a "precise counter-terrorism operation" in the eastern area of Rafah during the night.
Video footage circulating on social media, recorded by soldiers, showed the raising of the Israeli flag near the Rafah Crossing. The area appeared deserted, following Israel's warning to civilians in the densely populated eastern Rafah to evacuate to tents in Al Mawasi and Khan Younis.
The General Authority for Borders and Crossings in Gaza said in a brief statement that operations at the Rafah land crossing were suspended following the entry of Israeli tanks into the crossing facilities from Palestinian territory.
Passenger movement from Gaza has ceased, and the entry of humanitarian and relief aid into the enclave has been halted, it added.
Algeria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iran on Tuesday condemned the Israeli military operations in Rafah.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Tuesday warned of disruptions in aid delivery and fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing bordering Egypt.
Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate the movement's surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people in Israel were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
As of Tuesday, the death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 34,789, with 78,204 others being injured, according to health authorities in Gaza. ■
