Gaza talks continue, Israel unwavering on ground offensive

"We will operate in Rafah. This will take several weeks, and it will happen," were the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he spoke at a meeting of the nation's cabinet ministers.

His words came after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Sunday that any ground offensive in the Gazan city of Rafah would make regional peace and security "very difficult."

In response to the remarks, Netanyahu shrugged off Germany and other allies criticizing Israel's planned offensive, asking: "Are your memories that short? Have you so quickly forgotten October 7, the most horrific massacre of Jews since the Holocaust? Are you so quick to deny Israel the right to defend itself against the Hamas monsters?"

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Netanyahu's warning of a planned assault on Rafah come as talks aimed at forming a truce between Israel and Hamas are set to resume in Qatar.

Sources told Reuters this round of negotiations would be attended by the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Mediators are prepared to discuss the latest ceasefire proposal presented by Hamas that would see an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

A Palestinian official close to the talks told Reuters: "The mediators felt positive about Hamas' new proposal. Some in Israel felt the group made some improvement on its previous position and it is now in the hands of Netanyahu alone to say whether an agreement is imminent."

However, Netanyahu has already played down Hamas' latest proposal for what he described as "unrealistic demands."

The negotiations in Qatar will resume in the shadow of Israel's planned escalation of the conflict, as the Israeli Defense Forces seek to dislodge Hamas from its last remaining stronghold in the Enclave, the city of Rafah.

Gaza's health ministry announced Sunday that 31,645 Palestinians have now perished because of the conflict, and that 73,676 have now been injured since October 7.

Humanitarian organizations and many in the international community alike have expressed concerns of Israel's plans of a direct assault on the city, as it now shelters over 1 million internally displaced refugees.

Normally housing 270,000 Palestinians, the southern city of Rafah has become home to nearly half of Gaza's population as they sought safety from IDF bombardment and infantry movements in the enclave's north.

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