U.S. President Joe Biden has summoned an Israeli delegation to Washington as he tries to dissuade Israel from launching an assault on southern Gaza’s Rafah.
The provide, which got here Monday throughout a telephone name with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is among the clearest makes an attempt but by Biden to rein in the important thing US ally, amid fears {that a} full assault on Rafah may drastically worsen the already big demise toll and humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
The White House mentioned individually that Israel had killed one in all Hamas’s prime commanders in a strike in Gaza.
“I asked the Prime Minister to send a team to Washington to discuss ways to target Hamas without a major ground operation in Rafah,” Biden mentioned on X after talking to Netanyahu for the primary time in additional than a month.
Biden additionally “reiterated the need for an immediate cease-fire as part of a deal to free hostages, lasting several weeks, so we can get hostages home and surge aid to civilians in Gaza.”
Roughly 1.5 million persons are sheltering in Rafah, most of them displaced by Israel’s relentless assault on different components of Gaza for the reason that Oct. 7 Hamas incursion triggered the most recent battle.
The White House earlier mentioned Biden had warned Netanyahu that an offensive on Rafah can be a “mistake,” of their first name since Feb. 15.
“A major ground operation there would be a mistake,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan informed reporters.
“It would lead to more innocent civilian deaths, worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis, deepen the anarchy in Gaza, and further isolate Israel internationally.”
Netanyahu agreed to ship a group of senior Israeli officers to Washington within the coming days to debate “alternative approaches that would target key elements of Hamas,” he added.
Sullivan individually confirmed that Israel had killed Hamas’s third-in-command, Marwan Issa, in an operation final week. Israel beforehand mentioned he had been focused in a Gaza airstrike however didn’t affirm his demise.
‘Threat to Israel’
Biden has supplied Israel unequivocal assist since Oct. 7, sending billions of {dollars} in army support, however has change into more and more annoyed by Netanyahu’s failure to curb civilian deaths or let in very important support.
The U.S. president additionally faces rising political stress at residence, with opposition amongst Arab-Americans and younger voters posing a danger to his reelection possibilities in November.
Netanyahu mentioned in a press release after the Biden name that he had reiterated “Israel’s commitment to achieving all of the war’s objectives.”
He cited the targets as eliminating Hamas, profitable the discharge of all hostages held by the group and “ensuring that Gaza will never present a threat to Israel.”
He additionally pointed to the availability of “essential humanitarian aid that helps achieve these aims.”
Biden was caught on a sizzling mic simply over every week in the past saying he would have a “come-to-Jesus meeting” with Netanyahu.
He additionally praised a “good speech” final week by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for brand new elections in Israel.
Since Oct. 7, Israel has killed practically 32,000 folks in Gaza, most of them ladies and kids, based on the native Health Ministry.
Source: www.dailysabah.com