Israeli major military operation in Rafah would be a ‘mistake’: Blinken

ANKARA

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said a major Israeli offensive in Rafah city, the southern Gaza Strip, is "unnecessary" and would be a “mistake."

Blinken made the statement at a joint press conference in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.

He also said there is a better way to deal with "the ongoing threat posed by Hamas," than going to a military operation in Rafah.

Blinken added that such military operation in Rafah would "worsen the situation," and reiterated the US rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians or the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip.

On the ongoing indirect talks between Israel and the Hamas group to reach a cease-fire in Gaza, Blinken said: "It’s difficult to get there, but I believe it is still possible."

He noted that "gaps are narrowing" in the ongoing talks in Qatar, and stressed that the US will continue "to push for an agreement in Doha."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to launch a ground offensive in Rafah.

Several countries, including the US, have asked Israel to avoid launching the planned offensive in Rafah, which is home to nearly 1.4 million displaced Palestinians.

Israel waged a retaliatory offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. The offensive has killed nearly 32,000 victims and injured over 74,000 others amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

About 85% of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli onslaught amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.