The Biden administration on Thursday sought to argue that if Israel launches an ambitious offensive against Hamas in Rafah, it will strengthen Hamas, increase its influence in hostage negotiations and increase public support for Hamas.
Israel this week launched a limited operation in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, as it prepares to fight the last four Hamas battalions in the town believed to be the terror group’s last stronghold in the Gaza Strip.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller Said He said Israeli military operations in Rafah would “actually undermine Israel’s security.” He also said the US had presented Israel with “a full range of policy options” that would achieve the same goal of dismantling Hamas without entering Rafah, but did not explain what those options were. .
Asked whether President Joe Biden’s announcement that the United States would withhold weapons from Israel would undermine Israel’s leverage in hostage negotiations, Miller said the talks were “not our assessment.” .
White House National Security Press Secretary John Kirby made similar claims. according to Times of Israel:
“Any kind of large-scale ground operation in Rafah would actually strengthen the hand of Hamas at the negotiating table, not Israel. That is our view,” Kirby told reporters. spoke at a press conference.
“If I were Mr. Sinwar and I was sitting in a tunnel, looking at innocent people who were victims of a large-scale combat operation in Rafah, I would have little incentive to participate in negotiations. “No table,” the White House press secretary claims.
The logic seems to be that the more Palestinian civilians killed, the less incentive Hamas will have to release Israeli hostages, but whether it is out of anger over civilian casualties or whether more Kirby did not specify whether this was due to Hamas’ desire to cause casualties.
The White House has not said what would replace Rafah’s attack on Hamas.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book.The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)‘ is now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
