Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that his country's war cabinet will soon approve "operational plans" for a ground invasion of the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, despite facing widespread international condemnation.

During a news conference on Saturday, Netanyahu revealed that he intends to convene the cabinet in the coming week to endorse operational strategies pertaining to Rafah. These plans include the evacuation of the civilian population from the city.

Situated along the closed southern border of the Gaza Strip with Egypt, Rafah is home to nearly 1.5 million Palestinians who have been displaced due to Israel's ongoing military campaign in the region. Despite initially designating Rafah as a "safe zone," Israel now threatens a full-scale military offensive, leaving residents terrified and with nowhere to seek refuge.

The looming prospect of an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah has prompted mounting international concerns, with world leaders expressing grave apprehensions over the potential humanitarian impact of such a military operation in the densely populated area.

Additionally, Netanyahu mentioned that his government is actively engaged in negotiations to secure the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza. Talks on a potential prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas commenced in Paris on Friday.

Hamas has insisted that any release of Israeli captives hinges on the acceptance of its conditions, which include the liberation of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The group previously exchanged 80 Israeli captives for 240 Palestinian prisoners during a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.

Despite Israel's military campaign initiated in October, its objectives of "destroying Hamas" and recovering Israeli captives held in Gaza remain unfulfilled.