(VOVWORLD) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the plan for a ground attack on the city of Rafah was sanctioned in mid-March, with a determined start time in place for the operation.
While he did not provide a specific timeline, Netanyahu said that defeating Hamas necessitates deploying troops into Rafah.
Following Netanyahu’s statement, the US reiterated its opposition to the proposed attack. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the assault will result in catastrophic harm to the 1.5 million Palestinians taking refuge in Rafah, and pose a significant threat to Israel's national security.
Netanyahu's announcement followed the return on Monday of the Israeli delegation from the latest round of ceasefire negotiations in Cairo. The progress of the negotiation round remains unclear, and delegations from both Israel and Hamas are expected to reconvene in Cairo on Wednesday.