“Moody” Credit Agency downgrades “Israel” rating
Moody's credit rating agency lowered Friday the credit rating of the Israeli occupation from A1 to A2 - for the time in “Israel’s history.”
Moody has also attached a “negative” outlook to the new rating, which caught officials in Tel Aviv by surprise - which means that the agency sees it as probable that the country's credit rating will be lowered even further in the foreseeable future - as reported by Haaretz.
The downgrade has been considered another blow to “Israel’s” international image - as it becomes less attractive for investors which forces the Occupation’s government to increase its expenses.
Also Read: Rafah offensive approved by “Israel”, reports Hebrew media
The Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) preparations for a military operation in Rafah, Gaza began weeks ago, and the army has already approved a plan that includes evacuating the large numbers of displaced Palestinians there - as reported by “Yedioth Ahronoth”.
Reuters reported earlier that the “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to develop a dual plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah and defeat the remaining Hamas forces.
Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that Tel Aviv is on its way to achieving victory in Gaza within months, indicating that the solution lies in decisive victory and rooting Hamas out the Gaza Strip.
During a press conference, he informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that victory over Hamas "will have repercussions in the Middle East" and that "surrendering to Hamas's conditions will bring disaster to [Israel]."
He pointed out that "the military operation in Mosul took the United States 9 months, and there were no tunnels," and that "victory cannot be achieved in the presence of Hamas."
Netanyahu emphasized that "eliminating Hamas and ensuring disarmament in Gaza are two demands agreed upon by the majority of Israelis."
Regarding ceasefire negotiations and ongoing prisoner exchanges, he said: "We have not committed to any promises in the proposed deal, and negotiations are ongoing. We have committed to providing the minimum humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is a fundamental condition for the continuation of the war."
Netanyahu said: "We are progressing step by step towards decisive victory, and this requires unity. Whoever wants unity must work for it."
He confirmed that he had instructed the army to prepare for action in the city of Rafah adjacent to the Egyptian border south of the Gaza Strip.
He explained that "our operations in the north (on the border with Lebanon) are clear and decisive, and it is not acceptable for more than 100,000 of the residents there to remain displaced."
