Offensive in Rafah will not lead to release of hostages, warns ex-Israel PM

Military action alone will not lead to the recovery of the Israeli captives held in Gaza, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said.

The Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, chose to pursue an artificial victory in Rafah instead of focusing on recovering the hostages, he added.

Olmert emphasised the need for Israel to show readiness to stop the war in exchange for the return of all prisoners of war, highlighting that the United States is not prepared to support Netanyahu’s adventures and agenda.

He stressed the need to change the Israeli government and hold early elections, highlighting  the growing public dissatisfaction with the Netanyahu government.

The Israeli army announced the invasion of Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah on Tuesday in spite of Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal hours earlier. .

Some 1.4 million Palestinians have taken refuge in Rafah, the majority after being forcibly displaced from their homes by Israeli occupation forces.

UNICEF: 600,000 children in Rafah at risk of a ‘new imminent disaster’