Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the operations will eventually expand to built-up refugee camps in central Gaza dating back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation, as well as Muwasi, a sprawling displacement camp along the coast. Last month, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly floated the idea of transferring Gaza’s population to a so-called “humanitarian city” that the military would build on the ruins of the southernmost city of Rafah — now a largely uninhabited Israeli military zone — on the border with Egypt. The hostages are Hamas’ only remaining bargaining chip, and it is unlikely to give them up if it believes that Israel will then resume the war and attempt to eradicate the group.
Author: Joseph Krauss, Associated Press
Published at: 2025-08-20 21:53:17
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