Joe Biden reiterated his “unequivocal” opposition to the Rafah invasion in a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. The long-running war in Gaza comes as pressure mounts on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement that would release some Israeli hostages and bring about a nearly seven-month ceasefire.
In the face of global concern over the more than 1 million Palestinians displaced in southern cities, the White House announced that Biden has asked the Israeli prime minister to relocate and care for more than 1 million Palestinians. The United States announced that it would oppose an attack unless sufficient preparations were made to do so. Millions of Palestinians have taken refuge there.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby claimed that the Israeli government had assured Washington that it would consider US input before launching an attack.
“They assured us that we would not go to Rafah until we had an opportunity to really share our views and concerns with them,” Kirby told ABC television on Sunday.
On Sunday, Gaza health authorities announced that 13 people had been killed and many others injured in an Israeli airstrike on three homes in Rafah.
Biden and Netanyahu will also review the status of hostage negotiations ahead of new talks in Cairo, with a senior official from key mediator Qatar urging Israel and Hamas to show “greater commitment and more seriousness” in negotiations. did.
Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majid Al-Ansari’s comments in an interview with liberal daily Haaretz and Israeli public broadcaster Kan were published and broadcast on Saturday evening.
Qatar, where Hamas is headquartered in Doha, worked with the United States and Egypt to negotiate a cessation of fighting in November that led to the release of dozens of hostages. But in a sign of frustration, Qatar said this month it was reassessing its role.
Mr. Al-Ansari expressed disappointment with Hamas and Israel, saying that both sides made decisions based on political interests rather than with the welfare of civilians in mind. He did not provide further details about the talks, other than to say that “both sides held firm to their positions” and talks “effectively came to a halt”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday for diplomatic talks on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, where he is expected to discuss ceasefire negotiations and humanitarian aid to Gaza.
An Israeli delegation is expected to discuss the latest negotiations in Egypt in the coming days, and Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said in a message to The Associated Press that a delegation from the group would also head to Cairo.
Egyptian authorities have stepped up efforts to mediate negotiations between Hamas and Israel following a new proposal to release a small number of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip being allowed to return to their homes. It is being strengthened.
Egyptian officials told The Associated Press that mediators are working on a compromise solution that answers the main concerns of both parties and aims to set the stage for further negotiations to end the war once and for all. .
A letter written by the US president and 17 other world leaders called on Hamas to release the hostages immediately. In recent days, Hamas has released new videos of three hostages in an apparent attempt to pressure Israel into making concessions.
Biden and Netanyahu also discussed expanding humanitarian supplies to Gaza, “including preparations to open a new northern border starting this week,” according to a transcript of the White House call. The US president stressed that progress in aid to coastal areas will be “maintained and strengthened in full partnership with the humanitarian community.”
With Associated Press
