News, hostage release and more

Benny Gantz speaks to the media outside Carlton Gardens in London on March 6. Aaron Chown/PA Wire/PA Images/AP/File

Two US officials told CNN that the Biden administration does not expect Israeli forces to expand their military operations in Rafah as the holy month of Ramadan for most Muslims begins on Monday.

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz, who visited Washington last week, has warned in recent weeks that if Ramadan fails to reach an agreement on a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages, Israeli forces could use force against Hamas. Will start the next phase of her war. Major incursion towards Rafah in southern Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that regardless of whether an agreement is reached, he plans to send troops to Rafah.

“We’ll go there. We’re not going to leave (Gaza),” Netanyahu said in an interview with German media Axel Springer this Sunday. “You know, I have a red line.” You already know what the red line is: that October 7 does not happen again.”

Netanyahu was referring to comments made by President Joe Biden in an MSNBC interview on Saturday in which he said an operation in Rafah was “a red line.”

“No more than 30,000 Palestinians can be killed,” Biden said.

Netanyahu said in an interview with Politico and German media outlet Bild on Sunday that the operation would last no more than two months, but he did not provide details about a timeline.

“Once we begin intensive operations to eliminate Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah, it will be a matter of weeks, if not months. “That means it won’t take more than two months, maybe six weeks, maybe four,” he said.