Netanyahu (PM of Israel) says Israel will fight “with its fingers” if the United States curbs weapons
Netanyahu said on Thursday that a United States threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, suggesting that it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has urged Netanyahu not to proceed with such an operation due to concerns that it could exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave. On Wednesday, he said that Washington would not provide offensive weapons for a Rafah offensive, increasing pressure on Netanyahu.
However, in a statement released Thursday, Netanyahu stated that if we must stand alone, we will stand alone. If it is necessary, we shall engage in combat with our fingernails. However, we possess more than mere fingernails.
Netanyahu has made no secret of its intentions to invade Rafah
Israel has repeatedly threatened to invade Rafah, where over half of the population has sought refuge. The city situated in southern Gaza serves as the primary hub for humanitarian efforts, which have been severely hindered by the closure of Gaza’s two primary crossings this week.
Israel asserts that Rafah represents the final stronghold of Hamas and that the military must enter the area in order to dismantle the organization and retrieve numerous hostages who were captured during the 7 October attack that sparked the conflict.
In an earlier response to the United States president’s decision, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote a post on the platform X with a heart emoji between the words ‘Hamas’ and ‘Biden’. He and other members of Netanyahu’s coalition support a large-scale Rafah operation, and have threatened to bring down his government if it does not happen.
Aid groups warn that an invasion by Rafah would be catastrophic. According to the United Nations, the majority of the 2.3 million Palestinians in the territory are experiencing hunger and that northern Gaza is currently experiencing a “full-blown famine.”
Even the limited Israeli operation launched earlier this week, in which a tank brigade captured the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, has thrown humanitarian operations into crisis.
It further complicated the months-long efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to facilitate a cease-fire and the release of hostages.
Hamas has announced that it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but Israel says the plan does not meet its core demands. Several days of subsequent discussions appeared to conclude inconclusively on Thursday.
