From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Netanyahu says ‘will take some time’ until IDF launches offensive in Rafah
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Two days after his phone call with US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu releases a video statement saying that he will “soon approve the plan to evacuate the civilian population from the war zone.”
He says he appreciates Biden’s support, and that the president asked to present US proposals on humanitarian assistance and other aspects of the war.
Netanyahu is sending top aides to Washington on Sunday.
The operational plan, says Netanyahu, has already been approved.
“While we are preparing to enter Rafah, which will take some time, we continue to operate with all our might,” says Netanyahu. “We continue to operate in Khan Younis, in the central camps, for the elimination and capture of senior Hamas officials as we just did in Shifa Hospital, while eliminating hundreds of terrorists.”
“As I promised you time and time again — we are determined to achieve absolute victory, and we will achieve it.”
The Times of Israel Community.