Israeli Channel 12 reported that Israeli officials informed the Egyptians that "Israel" will not carry out an operation in Rafah without coordinating with them, noting that Joe Biden expressed concern over a potential Israeli military operation in Rafah. It was clarified that the American president requested Israel's participation in the meeting in Cairo next Tuesday.
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi warned against discussing military operations and Israeli army activities in the media, threatening Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif with "elimination." He stated during a cabinet session that "Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif and Yahya Sinwar no longer influence the fighting at all," emphasizing that "despite this fact, we must eliminate them."
In light of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements about a "nearby operation in Rafah," Halevi cautioned that "the public discourse on military operations is not sound," and called for "avoiding providing details about the stages of the war." Halevi clarified: "We are informing Sinwar through the media where we will be in two minutes, telling him about every step we take and allowing him to prepare for our arrival... it is difficult to manage a battle this way."
