The White House is looking for alternative options for ground operations in Rafah

White House spokesman John Kirby said during a press conference: “There are one and a half million people in Rafah, and we believe that a major ground attack would be a mistake and a disaster.” »

Kirby continued: American officials will discuss possible options with Israeli officials when they travel to Washington.

He said that more details about this trip will be announced in the coming days.

According to the announcement of the Palestinian news agency “Sama”, the spokesperson of the White House stated: “We believe that we are close to a ceasefire agreement and the consultations in this regard continue.” A truce must be established so that the prisoners (Zionist prisoners) are returned and more aid is sent.” He emphasized that the negotiations about the prisoners’ agreement are progressing.

Kirby noted: 11 countries voted for the draft resolution on Gaza in the Security Council. But Russia and China opposed this draft.

On Friday, Russia and China used their veto in the Security Council against the US draft resolution on Gaza, which was in favor of the Zionist aggression.

In a meeting with Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State in the Occupied Territories, Netanyahu informed him that Tel Aviv plans to launch a military operation against the city of Rafah in southern Gaza even without Washington’s support. He said: “I hope we will do this with the support of America, but if necessary, we will do it alone.”

He has claimed: “There is no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah and eliminating its remaining brigades there.”

U.S. President Joe Biden warned Netanyahu on Monday in his first phone call after more than a month of direct communication that the military operation in Rafah would lead to an escalation of unrest in Gaza.

After the call, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that Washington and Tel Aviv would hold comprehensive talks on ways forward in Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis is worsening after nearly six months of war. . Sullivan added: This meeting may be held in the coming days and no operations will be carried out in Rafah before the negotiations.

At the end of his visit to the occupied territories, Blinken told reporters that any attack on the city of Rafah would threaten to impose “more isolation” on Tel Aviv and damage its security in the long term.

He added: He had frank conversations and stressed that any ground military operation in Rafah carries the risk of killing more civilians.

The United States has warned that any Israeli military operation in Rafah, where more than a million people have taken refuge, would be a “disaster” without planning.

The American news site “Axios” stated in its previous report that the attack by the invaders on Rafah can make the United States to reconsider its policies, including stopping the defense of the Israeli regime in the United Nations and imposing conditions on how the Zionist army can use American weapons. lead in the Gaza war.

The United States has been the main political and military supporter of Israel since the beginning of the Gaza war, and provides arms and ammunition to this regime, and has repeatedly used its veto power in the Security Council to prevent the issuance of a ceasefire resolution in Gaza. /p>

Source: ISNA