Netanyahu's Rafah attack vow snarls truce deal

Israeli protesters call for Gaza deal to bring hostages home

Despite international appeals to "spare Rafah," a "ground operation there is on the immediate horizon"

(Image credit: Itai Ron / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

published 1 May 2024

What happened

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday after visits to Jordan and Saudi Arabia to help nail down a promising deal for a truce in Gaza. The plan would return Israelis hostages and avert an Israeli attack on Rafah, refuge to 1.5 million Palestinian civilians displaced by the war. Hours before Blinken's arrival, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will invade Rafah regardless.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.