The Israeli military is set to proceed with its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah as initially planned, following the breakdown of talks regarding an Israel-Hamas truce in Cairo, as per an Israeli official's statement to the media.
Meanwhile, reports from Xinhua news agency highlight a significant deployment of Israeli troops along the border with Rafah.
The unnamed Israeli official confirmed on Thursday the departure of the Israeli delegation from Cairo subsequent to discussions with Hamas, alongside US, Egyptian, and Qatari negotiators, aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement and securing the release of hostages in Gaza, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The official refrained from providing details on whether Israel intends to extend its offensive to additional areas within Rafah, situated at the southern tip of Gaza, where approximately 1.2 million internally displaced Palestinians are seeking refuge.
According to Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, the talks were disrupted due to Israel's ongoing ground campaign in Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet was slated to convene later on Thursday to deliberate on the continuation of the Rafah operation.
In response to US President Joe Biden's decision to halt certain arms shipments to Israel should its assault on Rafah escalate, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) asserted its possession of sufficient weaponry to sustain operations in Gaza.
"The IDF is equipped with the necessary armaments for the planned operations, including the ongoing one in Rafah," stated IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari in a release.
"We possess the requisite resources," he emphasized.
Hagari further noted, "The US has consistently provided security assistance to Israel and the IDF, even amid differences, which are addressed behind closed doors."
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