U.S.: Netanyahu Agreed to Send Israeli Officials to Discuss Rafah Operation in Talk With Biden

By Hamodia Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu agreed during a Monday talk with President Joe Biden to send a team of Israeli officials to Washington to discuss a prospective Rafah operation as each side is looking to make “clear to the other its perspective,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

While speaking to Biden for the first time in over a month, Netanyahu reiterated the goals that Israel must achieve to defeat Hamas in Gaza.

“We discussed the latest developments in the war, including Israel’s commitment to achieving all of the war’s goals,” Netanyahu said. “Eliminating Hamas, freeing all of our hostages and ensuring that Gaza never gain constitutes a threat to Israel – while providing the necessary humanitarian aid that will assist in achieving these goals.”

The White House has been skeptical of Netanyahu’s plan to carry out an operation in the southern city of Rafah without a plan to protect the 1.5 million Palestinians who are currently there, and this concern was raised again during Monday’s call.

“Our position is that Hamas should not be allowed a safe haven in Rafah or anywhere else, but a major ground operation there would be a mistake,” Sullivan said, adding that it would lead to more civilian deaths and further isolate Israel internationally.

Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have held off on going into Rafah, but have repeatedly stated that it is the last stronghold of Hamas, and that victory over the terrorist organization cannot be accomplished without dismantling the six remaining Hamas battalions, believed to be located in Rafah.

Wirth reporting by AP.