Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar said during a meeting of the Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Committee that a military operation in Rafah could potentially endanger the lives of the hostages held there.
"Military defeat is what can bring about a breakthrough, and I hope it will happen soon," Zohar said at the meeting.
When asked whether a military operation in Rafah would endanger the hostages, he responded, "The answer is yes."
Zohar was further asked how many hostages he would be willing to endanger. He responded, "There is no imaginary number that I can mention. There is no desire to endanger a single hostage, but the answer is yes, entering Rafah endangers the hostages."
Following the meeting, Zohar explained, "The only way to reach a deal is massive military pressure on Hamas, including ground entry into Rafah. Only through this will Hamas work towards a deal."
"Despite the danger inherent in ground operations, this is the way to bring all of the hostages home and ensure the complete destruction of Hamas," he stressed.