Report: Biden Won’t Oppose Israel’s Plans for Rafah Escalation

 

Biden has not imposed any consequences on Israel for its Rafah assault

by Dave DeCamp May 21, 2024 at 5:36 pm ET 

CategoriesNews

Israeli officials have agreed on a more “limited” operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah that won’t be opposed by President Biden, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported on Monday.

Ignatius said Israeli officials have reached a “consensus” about a “final assault” against four Hamas battalions Israel believes remain in Rafah.

Ignatius wrote: “Instead of the heavy attack with two divisions that Israel contemplated several weeks ago, government and military leaders foresee a more limited assault that US officials think will result in fewer civilian casualties and, for that reason, Biden won’t oppose.”

Despite issuing a warning to Israel about its plans for Rafah, Biden has not imposed any consequences as the Israeli military has continued to escalate in the city, and he backed the Israeli capture of the Rafah border crossing, which has halted aid distribution in the city.

US officials claimed to oppose an Israeli assault on the city without a clear plan for an evacuation of the 1.4 million civilians who were sheltering there. But Israel never submitted a plan to the US and went ahead with the invasion anyway. Now, over 800,000 civilians have fled Rafah with no clear place for them to go that’s safe or have basic necessities, such as water supplies.

Israel has made clear to the US that it will continue to escalate in Rafah. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday that Israel is “committed to broadening the ground operation in Rafah to the end of dismantling Hamas and recovering the hostages.”

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/05/21/report-biden-wont-oppose-israels-plans-for-rafah-escalation/