JERUSALEM, Israel – As Jews celebrated the vacation of Purim and Christians celebrated Palm Sunday, Israel and the US continued to spar over whether or not the Israeli navy would launch an operation in Rafah, Gaza's final stronghold.
The spat places the Biden administration and Netanyahu's authorities on a collision course.
Israel's protection minister went to Washington saying he needs to ensure Israel continues to get weapons and what it wants for its air protection programs.
He can even argue that, along with Israel, the US has a significant curiosity in seeing Hamas defeated.
Nonetheless, Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday wouldn’t rule out penalties for Israel if it launches a navy operation in Rafah to defeat Hamas.
She continued to jot down X, “We've been clear in lots of conversations and in lots of ways in which any main navy operation into Rafah can be an enormous mistake.”
These penalties may embrace setting situations for future US navy support.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded for Israel when he met with Overseas Minister Antony Blinken on Friday.
“I additionally mentioned that we’ve no approach to defeat Hamas with out coming into Rafah and eliminating the remainder of the battalions there. And I instructed him that I hope we are going to do it with the help of the US, but when we’ve to, we are going to do it ourselves,” Netanyahu mentioned.
The Israel Protection Forces in Gaza introduced that they captured or killed 170 Hamas terrorists who had been utilizing al-Shifa Hospital as a base after six days of combating.
“This operation will not be over,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari mentioned. “Proper now Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists are barricading themselves in Shifa hospital wards. Hamas is destroying Shifa hospital.”
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Within the north, the IDF struck Hezbollah positions after the Iran-backed terror group fired no less than fifty rockets at Israel.
Israel says the UN refugee company referred to as UNRWA needs to be banned after stable proof emerged that dozens of its workers had been concerned within the October 7 bloodbath.
UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres gave solely what Israel thought of a lukewarm admission that it had occurred. He mentioned: “There might have been infiltrations from Hamas in UNRWA.”
However Guterres insists the UN has investigated and brought “measures”.
On Monday, Israelis in Jerusalem celebrated the biblical vacation of Purim, commemorating how Queen Esther defeated a Persian plot to exterminate the Jews.
It’s particularly essential this yr, when after October 7, Jews once more really feel that they’re combating for survival.
Former Israeli President Reuben Rivlin mentioned this in the course of the Purim parade in Jerusalem on Monday CBN Information, The entire world should perceive that “by no means once more” mustn’t occur once more. And what’s by no means? It's by no means October 7.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu celebrated the vacation with IDF troopers.
He instructed them: “As in historic occasions, like our brothers, we’re united. We combat and we are going to win. We’ll enter Rafah and obtain full victory. We have now eradicated Haman (the traditional Persian conspirator in opposition to the Jews) and he can even get rid of Sinwar (the supreme chief of Hamas in Gaza). I want you a contented vacation!”
On the similar time in Jerusalem, Christians from everywhere in the world had been celebrating Palm Sunday, the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and was hailed by the crowds as their Messiah.
Even on this time of battle, Christians flocked to the Holy Metropolis to worship God and help Israel.
Jennifer Weedon, a pilgrim from the US, commented: “I do know there's lots happening right here within the Holy Land. And I'm right here to hope for the Jews. I'm right here to hope for everybody. It's my love for Jesus.” Christ, why am I right here.”
