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President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday as Israel’s military urged civilians to move out of the southern Gazan city of Rafah, according to US and Israeli officials.
Harvard University interim president Alan Garber told protesters that they needed to end their encampment in Harvard Yard or face consequences, including suspension, amid continuing tensions on campus as commencement approaches.
Israel rejects Hamas’ acceptance of Gaza ceasefire proposal
Hamas said it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal put forward by Qatar and Egypt to halt fighting with Israel in Gaza. However, Israel rejected Hamas’ acceptance, saying its forces would continue their operation in Rafah to eradicate the Palestinian militant group.
Even so, Israel would send a delegation to join mediators “to exhaust the possibility of reaching an agreement under conditions acceptable to Israel”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
The head of Hamas’ political office, Ismail Haniyeh, informed Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s head of intelligence of the acceptance, according to a statement posted on Telegram.
Hamas and Israel have been negotiating indirectly via Qatar, Egypt and the US on an agreement that would see the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians detained in Israeli jails. It would also include a pause in fighting.
Biden, Netanyahu speak as Israel tells Gazans to leave Rafah
President Joe Biden and Netanyahu spoke on Monday as Israel’s military urged civilians to move out of the southern Gazan city of Rafah, according to US and Israeli officials.
The discussion came hours after Israel’s military told Palestinians to move out of parts of the city where more than a million people are sheltering. Israel Defense Forces conducted air strikes early on Monday morning, but the warning prompted speculation Israel was readying long-expected ground operations.
The US has made clear its opposition to a major ground invasion of Rafah to the Israeli government, according to a White House National Security Council spokesperson, who confirmed the call between the two leaders. The leaders spoke for about 30 minutes, according to an Israeli official.
Large numbers of people began leaving Rafah following Israel’s warning, though it was unclear how long it would take for the bulk of civilians to leave. Israeli officials privately say it could take weeks, while the US has expressed doubts that it can be done safely.
Netanyahu has for months said civilians in Rafah would be moved out before any attack. There are around 1.4 million in the city, most of whom fled there after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “will act with extreme force against terrorist organisations in your areas of residence”, a spokesperson said on X on Monday morning. He urged residents of eastern Rafah to go north to an “expanded humanitarian area” near Khan Younis, another city in Gaza.
Most Arab and many European states have said Israel should not attack the city, fearing it would lead to mass civilian casualties and worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Many civilians may choose to remain in Rafah if they’re unsure of the conditions where they’re being told to go. Much of the Gaza Strip, including Khan Younis, has been destroyed by Israeli air strikes since the war began on 7 October. Hamas, considered a terrorist organisation by the US and European Union, may also prevent some of them from leaving.
The IDF said it was working on the expansion of field hospitals in the “humanitarian area” and would ensure tents, food, water and medication were available.
Israel says Rafah is the last bastion of Hamas, with about 5,000 to 8,000 of its fighters and senior leaders lodged in the city, as well as many Israeli hostages.
Shortly after the IDF’s announcement, residents in Rafah got calls with pre-recorded messages asking them to evacuate to the designated area.
The military dropped leaflets too.
“The IDF is about to operate with force against the terror organisations in the area you currently reside,” one of them read in Arabic, according to the military. “Anyone in the area puts themselves and their family members in danger. For your safety, evacuate immediately.”
The United Nations relief agency that helps Palestinians, known as UNRWA, said an attack on Rafah would be “devastating” and “would mean more civilian suffering and deaths.”
The IDF said 100,000 people fell under its “evacuation order” and the operation was limited in scope. One Israeli official said it would probably last for about two weeks.
The war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage. Israel’s bombardment and ground attack on the Palestinian territory have killed almost 35,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The war has roiled the wider Middle East, with other Iranian proxy groups attacking US bases in Syria, Iraq and Jordan. The Houthis, based in Yemen, are assaulting ships around the Red Sea, while Hezbollah in Lebanon is trading fire with Israel daily, with fears their skirmishes could escalate into war.
Iran also directly attacked Israel for the first time last month with a mass of drones and missiles, almost all of which were intercepted. Israel reacted with a limited bombing of an Iranian air base.
On Sunday, Israeli fighter jets struck a Hezbollah military site in the area of Safri in northeast Lebanon. Hezbollah responded by firing several rockets toward Israel.
Harvard issues ultimatum to protesters over encampment
Harvard University interim president Alan Garber told protesters that they needed to end their encampment in Harvard Yard or face consequences, including suspension, amid continuing tensions on campus as commencement approaches.
“The continuation of the encampment presents a significant risk to the educational environment of the University,” Garber wrote in a statement on Monday. “Those who participate in or perpetuate its continuation will be referred for involuntary leave from their Schools.”
Universities from the East Coast to California are cracking down after weeks of escalating protests spurred by the Israel-Hamas war. New York’s Columbia University cancelled its main commencement ceremony after ordering a police raid last week in which more than 100 protesters were arrested, including dozens who had occupied a campus building. DM
Read more in Daily Maverick: Middle East crisis news hub
