The Minister of Defense of Israel, Benny Ganz, put forward an ultimatum Hamas group, demanding from it the immediate release of all hostages held in the Gaza sector. Otherwise, Israel threatens to start storming the city of Rafah on March 10.
This is the first specific announcement of the Rafach Operation from Israeli, the BBC, France-Presse, and other sources. There is currently temporary shelter in this city for more than one and a half million Palestinians.
The Egyptian authorities take urgent measures to strengthen the border with the Palestinian enclave, as it is concerned about the breakthrough of local residents to its territory.
The United States proposed an alternative project of the UN Security Council, which calls for a temporary ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to Reuters on the evening of February 19, the United States opposes a large -scale land offensive of Israel in the Rafach city in the south of the Gaza Stripe.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyaga, stated on the evening of February 19 that Israel would retain full control over security throughout the Jordan River, including the West Bank and the Gaza Sector. He stressed that the results of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas would not affect this position.
