US is ‘helping Israel target Hamas leaders’ in hopes of limiting invasion of Rafah

0
2K

The Biden administration is sharing intelligence with Israel to help it target Hamas leadership and conduct other combat operations in the hope of limiting the invasion of Rafah, according toThe Washington Post.

For weeks, Israeli officials have warned of imminent invasion in the southern city Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians fled to escape fighting in the north of Gaza.

On Sunday, the exodus of Palestinians from Gaza’s last refuge accelerated as Israeli forces pushed deeper into Rafah. Israel also pounded the territory’s devastated north, where some Hamas militants have regrouped in areas the military said it had cleared months ago.

Rafah is considered Hamas’ last stronghold. Some 300,000 of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there have fled the city following evacuation orders from Israel, which says it must invade to dismantle Hamas and return scores of hostages taken from Israel in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.

Get AfriPrime Android Web View app....Click the link to Amazon app store to download https://rb.gy/3xek46

A boy looks on as Palestinians prepare to flee Rafah after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in the eastern part of the southern Gaza city on 12 May (REUTERS)
A boy looks on as Palestinians prepare to flee Rafah after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in the eastern part of the southern Gaza city on 12 May (REUTERS)

The White House, State Department, and a number of Democrats are vocally opposed to those plans, stating that the US does not believe an assault can be carried out with appropriate considerations for civilians caught in the crossfire. President Joe Biden told CNN last week that he would cut off specific types of military aid to Israel if a full-scale attack was launched in Rafah.

“We’re going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently,” he said. “But it’s, it’s just wrong. We’re not going to – we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells.”

On Sunday, the Washington Post reported new details of the Biden administration’s steps to limit the Rafah attacks. The US intelligence community is reportedly sharing information with its Israeli counterparts to assist the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in locating Hamas leadership as well as the group’s purported tunnel system alleged to exist throughout Gaza.

Biden administration officials have committed to intelligence-sharing with the “hopes they will persuade Israel to conduct a more limited and targeted operation in the southern Gaza city,” the Post reported.

One unnamed official told the Post: “We have serious concerns about how Israel has prosecuted this campaign, and that could all come to a head in Rafah.”

Get AfriPrime Android Web View app....Click the link to Amazon app store to download https://rb.gy/3xek46

The Independent has contacted the State Department for comment.

US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September 2023 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September 2023 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar remains in hiding. The group maintains a political office in Qatar through which limited negotiations, facilitated by the US, have taken place.

More than 35,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began seven months ago, according to estimates from the health authority there.

More than 1,100 Israelis died in the 7 October terrorist attack which ignited the conflict, the deadliest in Israel’s history. More than 100 of the 251 hostages taken from Israel that day are believed to be in the territory.

President Biden has grown increasingly frustrated with Israel’s handling of the war against Hamas and his administration in recent days paused a shipment of high-payload weaponry to the ally as US officials increasingly point to an assault on Rafah as a “red line”.

At the same time, the Biden administration has faced growing criticism from Democrats over all miltary assistance to Israel, given allegations of war crimes committed by Israeli forces.

Get AfriPrime Android Web View app....Click the link to Amazon app store to download https://rb.gy/3xek46

UN passes new measure for Palestinian rights; Israel expands into southern GAZA

 

Sponsor
Căutare
Sponsor
Categorii
Citeste mai mult
Alte
Exploring Taxi Services in London: Your Guide to Convenient and Reliable Transportation
London, the bustling capital of the United Kingdom, is renowned for its world-class...
By Xrideservicein 2025-03-17 08:37:09 0 2K
News
Swelling Demand for Edge Analytics Market highlights innovations, growth drivers, and opportunities in real-time analytics solutions across industries and IoT applications.
  Edge Analytics Market Key Insights: The Edge Analytics Market size is estimated to grow...
By Alexa211 2025-01-10 04:18:20 0 2K
Health and Wellness
HEALTH- Why Doctors Are Moving Away from BMI. Research shows this measure of weight and health is unhelpful. Reviewed by Lybi Ma
KEY POINTS- The American Medical Association voted to move away from using BMI to measure...
By Ikeji 2023-06-30 04:08:56 0 4K
Alte
Bangalore to Tirupati Cab
Book Bangalore to Tirupati cab online at best price. CabBazar provides car rental services for...
By cabbazar1 2024-10-27 09:19:49 0 2K
Technology
Smart Logistics and Safety Needs Drive Uptick in GPS Tracking Device Demand
The global GPS tracking device market, valued at USD 2.8 Bn in 2022, is poised to reach USD 7.4...
By amitmohite2024 2025-06-20 16:20:43 0 1K
Sponsor
google-site-verification: google037b30823fc02426.html