Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday refused to rule out “consequences” if Israel proceeds with its invasion of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
Harris made the statement in an interview with ABC News, saying such a move by the Netanyahu government would be a “big mistake.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an invasion was imminent and insisted Hamas must be completely eliminated.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu appears to have completely ignored President Biden’s warnings about the attack in Rafah. Is that a red line for his administration to cross?” asked ABC’s Rachel Scott.
Asked about the potential consequences, Harris told the outlet: “It has been clear at every point in multiple conversations that a large-scale military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake.” “Let me tell you something, I looked at the map. There’s nowhere for those people to go.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday refused to rule out “consequences” if Israel proceeds with its invasion of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. (Lee Vogel/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“It’s a mistake, but if that’s the case, will there be any consequences?” [Netanyahu] Will we move forward? asked Scott.
“We’re going to take it one step at a time, but we’re very clear on whether that’s going to happen.” [an invasion] “It should be,” Harris replied.
“Do you rule out the possibility of influence from the United States?” Scott pressed again.
“I’m not ruling anything out,” Harris said.
The exchange came days after Netanyahu vowed on Friday that Israel would proceed with the invasion with or without U.S. support.
Still, Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to send a high-level delegation to meet with White House officials this week to determine whether a compromise is possible.
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Satellite images show a tent shelter for displaced people in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on February 7. President Biden’s administration has urged Israel not to proceed with incursions into the region. (Reuters/Maxar Technologies)
Israel He said Rafah is Hamas’ last remaining stronghold and that Israel must defeat the terrorist organization’s forces there if it is to achieve its war goals. Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas following its October 7 attack that killed around 1,200 people, took 250 hostages, and triggered heavy Israeli air and ground attacks in Gaza.
However, Rafah is now a refuge for around 1 million Palestinians displaced by the Gaza war. The Biden administration has insisted that any invasion plan must include clear and strong protections for civilians, and has said it is not yet satisfied with Israel’s precautions.
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The rift between President Biden’s administration and that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deepening. (AP photo)
Prime Minister Netanyahu said he told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel is working on ways to evacuate civilians from the combat zone and respond to humanitarian needs in Gaza. Nevertheless, he stated that an invasion of Rafah was imminent.
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“I also said there is no way to defeat Hamas without joining Rafah,” Netanyahu said. “I told him that I would like to do this with the support of the United States, but that I would do it alone if necessary.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
