“If you look at the situation from an Israeli point of view, it is a win-win situation,” Franssen told the VRT NWS Journaal. “The agreement that was on the table was not enough. In any case, Israel wanted to carry out the operation on Rafah, but who knows, this could put more pressure on Hamas. Perhaps it could even lead to an agreement.”
Although it is not yet entirely clear whether Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu wants an agreement. “He is being hunted by his far-right government, but there are still a number of difficulties with that agreement. For example, a deal also means the end of the war for Hamas, but that is not the case for Israel.”
But the biggest victims of the offensive are Palestinian civilians. “It’s sad to say, but they are actually a kind of coin. 1.4 million people are stuck in tents.”
