Senior U.S. officials have indicated to Israel that the Biden administration would support targeted strikes on "high-value Hamas targets" in Gaza's Rafah, provided Israel refrains from a full-scale invasion of the densely populated Palestinian city that "could fracture the alliance," Politico reported on Wednesday, citing four U.S. officials.
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In a recent MSNBC interview, President Joe Biden said a full-scale offensive in Rafah would constitute a “red line“ as far as he’s concerned. Biden also directly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming that the Israeli leader was doing more harm than good to Israel and its interests by failing to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza and sufficiently facilitate the entry of essential humanitarian aid into the enclave.
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With refugees huddled in tents, Biden wants Netanyahu to curtail the scope of the operation
(Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun, Ahmad Hasaballah /Getty Images)
Under growing pressure from U.S. officials, two senior Israeli officials told Politico that the Netanyahu government is "developing ideas" to protect 1.3 million Palestinians sheltering in and around Rafah, many displaced by fighting elsewhere in the territory. The U.S. believes a targeted operation could lower civilian casualties, mitigating global criticism of Israel and striking Hamas' leadership hard.
According to Politico, for months, the Biden administration has been encouraging Israel to devise a military strategy focused on targeting the 3,000 Hamas terrorists in Rafah, roughly matching the number who attacked Israel on October 7.
Politico also reported that Biden might restrict the transfer of U.S.-made weapons to Israel if the IDF launches a full-scale operation in the city. However, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan dismissed the report as "speculations."
A U.S. Department of Defense official noted the absence of an operation in Rafah suggests Israel is heeding U.S. warnings, saying, "Israel will do what Israel will do. It’s kind of like trying to predict the weather. But was our message heard? Yes."