Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israeli authorities "have a date" for the Israeli operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The report said that Gallant told Austin on Monday that there was no date for the operation yet. The Israeli defense minister also told his American counterpart that Israel would have to take several crucial steps before an operation commences, including an orderly evacuation of the civilian population and an increase in humanitarian aid, Axios reported.
On March 22, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he was still determined to enter Rafah as there was no other way to defeat the remaining Hamas forces, adding that he would do that with or without US support. Many countries and international organizations, including the United States and the United Nations, are opposed to Israel's plans to proceed with the operation in Rafah.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 33,000 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.