[wat0n]

We're talking about a million starving and sick people. People that don't have fuel, or food, or medicine.

My tolerance of BS is not infinite.

...Which is why they'll need to be evacuated and provided with humanitarian aid before any attempts to take Rafah take place. This is also what the Biden administration has demanded.

[Pants-of-dog]

wrong thread

[late]

...Which is why they'll need to be evacuated and provided with humanitarian aid before any attempts to take Rafah take place. This is also what the Biden administration has demanded.

I don't get the feeling that's what Netanyahu plans on doing.

[wat0n]

I don't get the feeling that's what Netanyahu plans on doing.

I think you don't.

Netanyahu wants to avoid an election for as long as possible since it's clear from election polling he'll be out of a job as soon as one happens. This is his top priority.

That means taking as long as possible to attempt taking Rafah, since an election is hard to do with ongoing major combat operations.

The need to evacuate civilians before doing so, meaning that there needs to be planning and actual basic infrastructure wherever they evacuate to, is a great excuse to delay attacking Rafah and it's a legitimately good reason to. The fact that this is an American demand also helps him in this regard.

[late]

I think you don't.

Netanyahu wants to avoid an election for as long as possible since it's clear from election polling he'll be out of a job as soon as one happens. This is his top priority.

That means taking as long as possible to attempt taking Rafah, since an election is hard to do with ongoing major combat operations.

The need to evacuate civilians before doing so, meaning that there needs to be planning and actual basic infrastructure wherever they evacuate to, is a great excuse to delay attacking Rafah and it's a legitimately good reason to. The fact that this is an American demand also helps him in this regard.

The trickle of aid going to Gaza has to turn into a flood.

I would like to be wrong, but so far there isn't the slightest indication I am.

Except for fantasy, of course.

[wat0n]

The trickle of aid going to Gaza has to turn into a flood.

I would like to be wrong, but so far there isn't the slightest indication I am.

Except for fantasy, of course.

Airdrops would be a great way to do that, bypassing Hamas.

Because, you know, Hamas still controls whatever crosses into Rafah and decides who gets what. They have of course killed civilians attempting to get aid, and locals certainly don't like it.

[Istanbuller]

The Israelis do not listen to America as they know that America is never going to attack them. They will never ever be sanctioned even they commit a genocide. Entire Palestinian population is taken hostage by Israel. No one can save them.

[KurtFF8]

Already posted, you're in denial.

You didn't post anything showing that Israel has called on civilians to return to Gaza City, still looking for that source.

...Which is why the displaced Gazans are not being told to return right now, among other things. Israel is still conducting mop up operations in the north, even though it has been placed under overall Israeli control.

However, Netanyahu's suggestion does point towards a return to the north.

In other words, Israel is not instructing anyone to return to Gaza City, contrary to your earlier claim.

[wat0n]

@KurtFF8 I said Netanyahu was planning for a return to the north, not that such a thing had been announced. I think it's the most obvious choice in this regard.

I also don't think Rafah should be taken by Israel if there's no evacuation plan for the civilians there. As I said, I don't think Netanyahu is in a rush to attack Rafah as he doesn't want an election.

[Pants-of-dog]

The plan is for the IDF to attack Rafah by March 10th.

Or more specifically, the deadline for release of the IDF hostages is March 10th, and if the hostages are not released by then, the ground offensive against Rafah will begin.

18 days from now.

Considering the destruction in northern Gaza, it is almost impossible for there to be enough time to provide enough humanitarian aid to make northern Gaza livable before that time.

[wat0n]

It would not be the first time Israel doesn't fulfill its own deadlines in this war. Israel also threatened Hezbollah to escalate and indeed invade Lebanon if it did not withdraw 7 km from the border...

...And there they are, nothing's happened.

[Pants-of-dog]

It is also worth mentioning that the Israeli government and the IDF have already started bombing Rafah, after forcing most of the population into Rafah.

[wat0n]

...And those bombings have also been limited in nature. Furthermore, Rafah is not in the safe humanitarian area designed by the IDF.

[Pants-of-dog]

The Rafah bombings have already killed whole households of civilians. including a child that was approximately 18 months old. According to the IDF, “terrorists” were killed in the bombings. We are left to assume that this toddler was a Hamas militant.

And the IDF also conducted a tank assault on the designated safe zone earlier.

[wat0n]

You mean during the raid to rescue hostages? According to all accounts, plenty of Hamas terrorists were killed in that.

Of course, you would condemn rescuing hostages. You have no issues with Hamas members sexually abusing them, as some have denounced, after all.

[Pants-of-dog]

You mean during the raid to rescue hostages?

No.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/ ... %20wounded.