PARIS, France – In a significant development, Israel has agreed to consult with the United States before launching an invasion of the border city of Rafah in Gaza, according to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.
Despite international warnings of a potential humanitarian catastrophe, Israel’s military is prepared to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Fafa and confront Hamas militants entrenched in the city, a senior Israeli defense official disclosed on Wednesday.
Kirby told ABS, “They’ve assured us that they won’t go into Rafah until we’ve had a chance to really share our perspective and our concerns with them”. The U.S. has stated that it cannot support a Rafah operation without an appropriate and credible humanitarian plan.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit the region next week. Kirby and Blinken would continue to advocate for a temporary ceasefire that Washington hopes will last for at least six weeks.
A Hamas delegation is set to visit Cairo on Monday for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire, a Hamas official informed Reuters. “What we’re hoping is that after six weeks a temporary ceasefire, we can maybe get something more enduring in place”, Kirby said, noting that the number of aid trucks in northern Gaza was beginning to increase.
Kirby also stated that Israel has begun to fulfill the commitments that U.S. President Joe Biden asked them to meet. Earlier this month, Biden urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protect Palestinian civilians and foreign aid workers in Gaza, warning that Washington could curtail its support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas militants.
