Israeli Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi said the Israeli forces are about to finish off Hamas's Rafah brigade of four battalions.
"We have tremendous achievements in the battle for Rafah...this can be seen: by the number of killed terrorists, the volume of destroyed infrastructure," Halevi said.
At the same time, the U.S. State Departmentreported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, noting that it was important to prevent an escalation of the Middle East conflict and find a diplomatic solution.
"He also underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes," the statement reads.
In addition, Blinken and Gallant reportedly discussed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that secures the release of all hostages and alleviates the suffering of the Palestinian people.
Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli military’s heavy fighting against Hamas militants in the Gaza city of Rafah is nearly over.
The Israeli leader said that while the army is close to completing its current ground offensive in Rafah, that would not mean the war against Hamas is over. According to him, the military’s focus could then shift to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
