US President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday and warned against the prospect of a major Israeli military operation in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge, Arab media reported.
The two leaders, in their first telephone conversation in more than a month, outlined the latest developments in Israel and Gaza, including Israeli military operations, increased humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza and efforts to bring hostages home, the White House said.
Biden reiterated the need to defeat Hamas in Gaza while protecting civilians and facilitating the safe and unimpeded delivery of aid throughout Gaza.
Netanyahu and Biden agreed that their teams would meet soon in Washington to exchange views and discuss alternative approaches that would target key Hamas elements and secure Egypt’s border with Gaza without a major ground operation in Rafah, the White House said.
Biden asked Netanyahu to send a high-level team of military, intelligence and humanitarian officials to Washington to discuss an alternative approach that would target Hamas in Rafah and secure Egypt’s border with Gaza without a major ground invasion.
Telling reporters at a White House press briefing about the 45-minute call, US Presidential National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Biden expressed his “deep commitment” to Israel’s long-term security. He noted:
A major ground operation there would be a mistake. It would lead to more innocent civilian deaths, worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis, deepen the anarchy in Gaza and further isolate Israel internationally.
Sullivan emphasised that Biden again rejected during the phone call “Solomon’s argument that raising questions about Rafah is tantamount to raising questions about defeating Hamas. Hamas should not be given a safe haven anywhere.”
The NSA reported that Netanyahu agreed to Biden’s request and said the meeting would take place later this week or early next week.
Biden also released an X statement about his conversation with Netanyahu:
Today, I spoke again with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the latest developments in Israel and Gaza. I continued to affirm that Israel has a right to go after Hamas, a group of terrorists responsible for the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. And I reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire as part of a deal to free hostages, lasting several weeks, so we can get hostages home and surge aid to civilians in Gaza.
Biden also confirmed that he had asked Netanyahu to “send a team to Washington to discuss ways to strike Hamas without a major ground operation in Rafah.”
In the phone call, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to achieving its military objectives, including the elimination of Hamas and the release of hostages.
The phone conversation between Netanyahu and Biden was their 20th since the war began following the Hamas attack on 7 October, but their first since 15 February, according to the Times of Israel.
