Netanyahu's Rafah attack vow snarls truce deal

Hours before the truce deal was to be finalized, Netanyahu said Israel will invade Rafah regardless

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)

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.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Peter Weber, The Week US

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.