The Israeli military pressed its campaign against Hamas around the border city of Rafah, as President Biden signaled increasing discomfort with Israel’s Gaza offensive, calling it “over the top.”
U.S. officials have pointed to military operations in Rafah, where more than a million people have sought refuge, as a particular point of contention. “Military operations right now would be a disaster for those people, and it’s not something that we would support,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday.
“Half of Gaza’s population is now crammed into Rafah with nowhere to go. Reports that the Israeli military intends to focus next on Rafah are alarming,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. “Such an action would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences.”
The U.S.-Israel tensions come as diplomatic efforts have so far failed to reach a breakthrough. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the Middle East on Thursday after meeting with Israeli officials and regional leaders who have sought to broker a cease-fire.
Israeli officials say they need to continue the campaign into Rafah to achieve Israel’s stated aim of destroying Hamas. They say Rafah contains smuggling routes linking Gaza with Egypt that the military seeks to dismantle.
Military operations in Rafah threaten to strain Israel’s relations with Egypt, its neighbor and diplomatic partner.
Egyptian officials said they warned Hamas this week that if the group didn’t reach an agreement with Israel within the next two weeks, Israel would proceed with the ground invasion.
Hamas officials replied to the Egyptians that they are prepared to defend Rafah and wouldn’t respond to Israeli threats without an agreement that meets their demands.
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