Netanyahu Says Israeli War Goals Not Possible Without Rafah Offensive, Rebuffing Biden Admin Pressure

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is again signaling plans for an Israeli ground offensive in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, even as the Biden administration has increasingly pushed back on the idea. Mr. Netanyahu reiterated his plans for a Rafah offensive while addressing Israel’s unicameral legislature, the Knesset, on Tuesday. “We have been fighting for over five months, this is a record in the history of Israel’s wars, except for the War of Independence,” he said. “We are, of course, under growing international pressure, which we are rejecting, to achieve the goals of the war.” A major wartime goal, which Mr. Netanyahu has articulated throughout the conflict and again on Tuesday, is to eliminate Hamas entirely....