US says Israel ‘took into account’ its ‘concerns’ over Rafah

Washington, United States — AFP

Israel has taken US concerns into account as it wages an unprecedented military operation in the battered Gaza city of Rafah, which is packed with refugees, a senior United States official has said.

“It’s fair to say, I think the Israelis have updated their plans. They’ve incorporated many of the concerns that we have expressed,” the official told reporters.

“This is an ongoing discussion, ongoing conversation. It’s been constructive,” claimed the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The person was referring to talks that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had with senior Israeli officials last weekend in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“What matters is what actually happens,” the official said. “We don’t greenlight Israeli operations. It’s not our role.”

President Joe Biden has said publicly that he does not want Israel to wage a major ground offensive in Rafah, which is in the far south of the Gaza Strip and packed with hapless Palestinians displaced by Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

Israel launched its ground assault on parts of Rafah early this month, defying international opposition including from top ally Washington, which feared for the more than one million civilians trapped there.

Israel has vowed to “destroy Hamas” and its alleged tunnel system, as well as to rescue remaining Israeli prisoners.