'It's either Israel or Hamas': Netanyahu defends planned assault on Rafah
Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on the Israel-Hamas war for Monday, March 11. For the latest news on the conflict in the Middle East, view our live updates file on the war for Tuesday, March 12.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday defended his plan to expand Israel's military offensive into the southern city of Rafah while his defense minister warned Hamas not to test Israel's resolve during Ramadan.
Netanyahu dismissed the objections of President Joe Biden and other world leaders over invading Rafah, saying he doesn't want to leave "a quarter of the Hamas terror army in place."
Netanyahu, speaking on Fox News' Fox and Friends, said Hamas must be defeated completely or the militant group will regroup, regain control of Gaza and repeat the Oct. 7 rampage that killed almost 1,200 people and saw about 250 hostages seized.
More than 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah, on the southern border with Egypt, as Israel storms through Gaza. Biden agrees Hamas must be destroyed but wants to ensure the safe departure of civilians from Rafah. "Before we go in, we agree with that," Netanyahu said.
"Look, it's either Israel or Hamas. There is no middle way," Netanyahu said. "We can't leave a quarter of the Hamas terror army in place. They're there in Rafah. This would be equivalent to saying, you know, after the Allies fought back, gone through Normandy, went through Germany, and you'd say, well, we'll leave a quarter of the Nazi army in place and we won't go into Berlin, the last stronghold."
Netanyahu rebuffs Biden: Says Israelis overwhelmingly back war
Developments:
? Mahjoob Zweiri, a professor at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera the U.S. pressured Israel not to tighten access restrictions at East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest, in the West Bank during Ramadan. “If the Israelis do not listen to the Americans, West Bank is likely to become another Gaza in a matter of months," Zweiri warned.
? Israeli troops and security forces arrested 20 wanted people in what was described as a counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank. The Israeli military said 3,500 suspects have been arrested in the West Bank since the war began, over 1,500 of them associated with Hamas.
? The U.S., France, Jordan, Egypt and Belgium conducted a total of seven airdrops of humanitarian assistance into Gaza on Monday, Reuters reported, including more than 27,000 meals and nearly 26,000 bottles of water by American forces into the devastated northern part of the territory.
? The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 25 people, mostly children, have died from malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza.
? Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani dismissed U.S. efforts to airdrop aid as “merely symbolic" and part of the U.S. attempt to justify providing Israel with weapons being used in Gaza.
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Israel touts 'successes,' hints at killing Hamas leaders
Israeli officials are hinting their forces have killed some of Hamas' top leaders, including two among the highest ranks.
The Israel Defense Forces said Monday it targeted Marwan Issa ? Hamas' No. 2 military commander and one of the masterminds of the Oct. 7 attacks ? in a Saturday airstrike on an underground compound he uses in central Gaza. "We are still assessing the results of the strike and will inform the public of them when we are certain,'' the IDF said in a statement.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant seemed to suggest the mission had been accomplished when he said Monday, “There have been successes, including in recent days, and there will be more successes. The operations are persistent and headed in the right direction.”
Also Monday, Netanyahu said Israel had killed “Hamas’ No. 4” without naming him. It appeared to be an acknowledgement of the assassination of Saleh Arouri, the deputy political head of Hamas and a founder of the group’s military wing, who was killed in an explosion in Beirut in January. Israel had not claimed responsibility for that attack.
“Three, two, and one are on the way. They are all dead men,'' Netanyahu said. "We will reach them all.”
Airstrikes kill 11 in Yemen days after deadly Houthi attack
Air attacks believed to be launched by U.S. and British forces killed at least 11 people and injured 14 Monday in port cities and small towns in western Yemen, Reuters reported, citing a spokesperson for the Yemeni government.
The airstrikes come five days after three crew members were killed in a Houthi missile strike on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, the latest in a series of assaults on commercial shipping by the Yemen rebels and the first deadly one.
Previous joint military responses by the U.S. and U.K. have not deterred the Iran-backed Houthis, who say their attacks on vessels in the busy Red Sea corridor are meant to support Palestinians in battered Gaza.
The principal port city of Hodeidah was among those hit Monday in a barrage of at least 17 airstrikes, Reuters reported.
Israeli military issues warning as Ramadan begins
The beginning of the holy month of Ramadan prompted fasting and worship by Muslims around the world Monday, but it brought no end to the death and destruction caused by the war in the Gaza Strip despite intense efforts by the U.S. and other nations to broker a cease-fire.
Palestinians prayed amid rubble and fear after talks stalled over Israel's resolve to crush Hamas and the militant group's demands for an end to Israel's offensive and the withdrawal of all its troops from Gaza. Hamas has called for stepped-up resistance, drawing a warning from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
"I say to everyone who is thinking of trying us this month ? we are ready. Don't make mistakes," he said.
Biden issued a statement acknowledging that Ramadan has arrived "at a moment of immense pain" in the enclave as the death toll surpasses 31,000 while almost 2 million remain displaced. He said the U.S. will continue leading the effort to increase humanitarian aid while "working nonstop" to broker a peace agreement.
"As Muslims gather around the world over the coming days and weeks to break their fast, the suffering of the Palestinian people will be front of mind for many," Biden said. "It is front of mind for me."
Jordan warns of possible 'explosion' at Islamic holy site
Any restrictions imposed by Israel on Muslim worshippers’ access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the Muslim fasting month could result in an "explosion," Jordan Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned Monday. Video posted on social media Sunday night appeared to show Israeli border police clashing with worshippers, and police saying they were working to "enable freedom of worship (while) ensuring safety and security."
Israel announced last week it would not reduce the number of worshippers allowed to pray at the site, one of Islam's three holiest, for at least a week while monitoring security. The mosque is part of Temple Mount, the holiest place in Judaism where two biblical Temples once stood.
No damage reported from latest attack on Red Sea shipping
An explosion took place near a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, but the ship's master said no one was hurt, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The attack likely came from the Yemen-based Houthi rebels who have been targeting ships, claiming support for Palestinians in Gaza. The private security firm Ambrey said the incident may have involved a missile, but few details were available and the Houthis issued no immediate statement.
A Houthi missile struck the commercial ship True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden last week, killing three of its crew members and forcing survivors to abandon ship. It was the first fatal strike since the attacks began in November.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel war live updates: Netanyahu defends planned assault on Rafah
