A White House spokesperson warned Thursday that Israel “crushing Rafah” would not eradicate Hamas, and urged the country to find alternatives to its long-threatened assault on a city where Hamas has taken refuge more than a million Palestinians.
John F. Kirby, White House national security spokesman, said President Biden shares Israel’s goal of eradicating the terrorist group that attacked Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 people. and taking more than 200 hostages.
But Mr Biden is increasingly wary of a major attack in the densely populated town of Rafah in southern Gaza. Since the start of the war, more than 34,000 people have died in Gaza, according to local health authorities. The United States fears that an operation in Rafah could result in many civilian casualties.
“A lasting defeat of Hamas certainly remains the Israeli goal, and we share that goal with them,” Mr. Kirby said. “According to him, crushing Rafah will not advance this objective and will not allow a lasting and lasting defeat of Hamas. »
Those concerns led Mr Biden last week to suspend the delivery of 3,500 bombs to Israel – the first time he has used US weapons to try to influence how the war is fought. On Wednesday, he said he would also forgo artillery if Israel pursued a major operation in Rafah.
“If they go into Rafah, I am not providing the weapons that have historically been used to take care of Rafah, to take care of the cities, which are taking care of this problem,” Mr. Biden said in his statement . an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett.
He also acknowledged that Israel had used American bombs to kill civilians in Gaza, reflecting its growing unease over the rising death toll as the war continues.
Mr. Kirby also tried to allay concerns that the United States was breaking with its closest ally in the Middle East.
“The argument that we are moving away from Israel flies in the face of the facts,” Mr. Kirby said Thursday, citing Mr. Biden’s visit to Israel in the days following the October 7 attack, providing money and military expertise for its war, and sending American fighter pilots into the skies to shoot down Iranian drones.
He said the United States believes that Israel has “put enormous pressure on Hamas and that there are better ways to tackle what remains of Hamas in Rafah than a major ground operation.”
Mr. Kirby said the United States was still working with Israel on ways to help it defeat Hamas, such as ensuring that the Gaza-Egypt border cannot be used for arms smuggling. and to target Hamas leaders.
He also noted that even though the United States has temporarily suspended the transfer of bombs, Israel “still receives the vast, vast majority of everything it needs to defend itself,” and that a recent financing plan adopted by Congress will continue to send billions. in Israel.
Mr. Biden’s decision to suspend some arms shipments to Israel underscored simmering frustrations between Mr. Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr Netanyahu said Israel would continue its invasion of Rafah even without global support. Last week, Israeli forces carried out a number of targeted strikes in Rafah and showed other signs of a major ground invasion, including the evacuation of more than 100,000 people.
THURSDAY, the Israeli leader said: “If we have to be alone, we will be alone. I said that, if necessary, we will fight with our nails. But we have more than nails and with this same strength of spirit, with God’s help, together we will overcome.
