Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a phone call overnight that “there was no choice left and this meant the start of the Israeli operation in Rafah,” The Times of Israel reported on Monday. Gallant informed Austin of “the many efforts that the State of Israel is making to reach a [agreement] for the release of hostages and a temporary ceasefire, and said that at this stage Hamas refuses any proposal that would allow this.” The move was made following the failure of Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement on Sunday and the raid and closing of Al-Jazeera’s Jerusalem station.