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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the voting session for the impeachment of Hadash-Ta’al party MP Ofer Cassif in Jerusalem, February 19, 2024. Abir Sultan, EPA-EFE.

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Knesset begins impeachment debate for Israeli MP Ofer Cassif

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/12040181.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the voting session for the impeachment of Hadash-Ta’al party MP Ofer Cassif in Jerusalem, February 19, 2024. Abir Sultan, EPA-EFE."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the voting session for the impeachment of Hadash-Ta’al party MP Ofer Cassif in Jerusalem, February 19, 2024. <strong><em>Abir Sultan, EPA-EFE.</em></strong></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WASHINGTON -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the military operation into Gaza&#x27;s Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering in tent cities, would put Israel within weeks of &quot;total victory&quot; over Hamas.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza have resumed in Doha, state-linked Egyptian media reported, but Netanyahu said any deal would not prevent the Rafah offensive.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;If we have a (ceasefire) deal, it will be delayed somewhat, but it will happen,&quot; he told CBS.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;If we don&#x27;t have a deal, we&#x27;ll do it anyway. It has to be done, because total victory is our goal, and total victory is within reach -- not months away, weeks away, once we begin the operation.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">An Israeli delegation was in Paris on Friday to discuss a deal on a fresh ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/24/strikes-on-gaza-kill-scores-as-paris-hosts-new-truce-talks-1936"></a><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/24/strikes-on-gaza-kill-scores-as-paris-hosts-new-truce-talks-1936">READ: Strikes on Gaza kill scores as Paris hosts new truce talks</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/25/hunger-grips-north-of-war-torn-gaza-amid-ongoing-truce-talks-1909"></a><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/25/hunger-grips-north-of-war-torn-gaza-amid-ongoing-truce-talks-1909">READ: Hunger grips north of war-torn Gaza amid ongoing truce talks</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The talks then restarted in Doha, including Hamas representatives.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;We&#x27;re all working on it. We want it. I want it. Because we want to liberate the remaining hostages,&quot; Netanyahu said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;I can&#x27;t tell you if we&#x27;ll have it, but if Hamas goes down from its delusional claims and brings them down to Earth, we&#x27;ll have the progress that we all want.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">During the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, Palestinian militants took some 250 hostages, 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">As with a previous week-long truce in November that saw more than 100 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners freed, Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been spearheading efforts to secure a new deal.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">International pressure for a ceasefire has mounted in recent weeks, as the death toll from Israel&#x27;s military offensive on the Palestinian territory nears 30,000, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas -- which rules Gaza -- in response to its October attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Asked about US demands for Israel to protect civilians in Rafah, Netanyahu said his military chiefs would on Sunday show him &quot;a dual plan -- a plan to evacuate and a plan to dismantle those remaining (Hamas) battalions.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O7rz5xuhkAs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the military operation into Gaza's Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering in tent cities, would put Israel within weeks of "total victory" over Hamas.</p>

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the military operation into Gaza's Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering in tent cities, would put Israel within weeks of "total victory" over Hamas.

Netanyahu: Rafah operation will put Israel weeks away from 'total victory'

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Netanyahu: Rafah operation will put Israel weeks away from 'total victory'

Agence France-Presse

Published February 26, 2024 01:12 AM PHT

Read More:

Israel

Hamas

Gaza

Gaza Strip

Palestine

Benjamin Netanyahu

Rafah

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