The US privately told Israel the kind of Rafah campaign it could support
Source: Politico
The US privately told Israel the kind of Rafah campaign it could support
How Israeli forces go into Rafah will impact the state of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
By ALEXANDER WARD and LARA SELIGMAN
03/13/2024 05:23 PM EDT
Senior U.S. officials have told their Israeli counterparts the Biden administration would support Israel going after high-value Hamas targets in and underneath Rafah — as long as Israel avoids a large-scale invasion that could fracture the alliance.
The Biden administration is still grappling with what kind of Israeli military operation it can accept in Rafah, with U.S. officials knowing full well Israel wants to eliminate Hamas’ four battalions in the southern Gaza city on Egypt’s border. President Joe Biden’s “red line,” which he drew over the weekend, is that Israel should no longer pursue a campaign without credible civilian protection plans in place.
But Israel’s military still has yet to produce such a plan. Two Israeli officials said the military is still developing ideas to ensure the safety of 1.3 million Palestinians in and around the city, many of whom fled there to avoid the war.
In private conversations, top administration officials have signaled to Israel that they could support a plan more akin to counterterrorism operations than all-out war, four U.S. officials said. That, the administration officials argue, would minimize civilian casualties, decimate Hamas’ ranks and avoid scenes that have led to souring public opinion on Israel’s campaign and Biden’s handling of the war.
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Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/13/us-would-back-a-limited-military-campaign-in-rafah-00146827