Israel will invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah with or without a hostage deal, Prime Minister Benjamin said on Tuesday during a meeting with forums of hostage families and families of fallen soldiers who are affiliated with the right and support the invasion.
The statement came after US officials said on Monday that new progress had been made in negotiations for a hostage deal, which would likely include at least a temporary suspension of plans to enter Rafah, the last major Hamas stronghold that the IDF has yet to attack.
"The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question. We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there – with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory," Netanyahu said.
Ben-Gvir, Netanyahu meeting amid hostage deal
According to the prime minister's office's statement to the press, "The prime minister listened to their call to continue achieving the goals of the war and to withstand the international pressure."
The two forums that met with the prime minister were the Hope Forum, which includes families of hostages, and the Heroism Forum, which includes families of fallen soldiers. Both are affiliated with the right and have largely called to increase military pressure in Gaza. These are separate from the larger Hostage and Missing Families Forum, which has taken an increasingly critical stand against the government.
Earlier Tuesday, the far-right flank of Israel's government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, both announced political steps aimed at pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move forwards with an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Smotrich said in a statement late Monday night that his party would convene at Israel's Knesset in Jerusalem in order to discuss the issue of Rafah. The meeting was scheduled for 2:00 p.m., the same time as a government meeting, and its three ministers will not attend the government meeting as a warning message to Netanyahu.
Ben-Gvir held a closed-door meeting with Netanyahu on Tuesday afternoon, prior to the general government meeting. A spokesperson for Ben-Gvir said that the meeting was "on the backdrop of the developing [hostage] deal and the fact that Israel has yet to enter Rafah."
Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich threatened in the past week to leave the government if Netanyahu agreed to cancel the invasion of Rafah.
The coalition currently includes 72 Knesset members. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich together have 14 seats, and without them the coalition will be left with 58 Knesset members, and will no longer have a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
Ben-Gvir said in a video statement following the meeting that the prime minister had promised that Israel would invade Rafah, that the war will not end, and that there will not be a "reckless" deal.
He added that he believes the "Prime Minister understands what the significance is if these things do not happen."
Smotrich later on in a press conference demanded that Netanyahu not wave a "white flag" of surrender by agreeing to the Egyptian-brokered deal. He said that Israel was facing a fork in the road, with "no middle", and said that he was willing to pay a "political price" if Netanyahu decided to move forward with the deal.