The US would be willing to support pinpoint Israeli raids targeting senior Hamas leaders in and under Rafah if Israel decides not to launch a large-scale invasion of the city, Politico reported on Wednesday.
US President Joe Biden and other senior US officials have expressed opposition to an invasion of Rafah unless the estimated 1.4 million civilians in the city can be safely evacuated. US officials have reportedly requested that Israel provide clear plans ensuring this will happen, but as of yet, no such plan has been presented.
"Given the large number of civilians that are now in Rafah, many of them displaced from other parts of Gaza, about 1.4 million, we need to see a plan that will get civilians out of harm’s way if there’s to be a military operation in Rafah – and not only gets them out of harm’s way but also ensures that they have what they need – that they have shelter, that they have food, that they have medicine. We’ve not yet seen such a plan," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday.
According to Politico, senior officials in the Biden administration have told Israeli leaders that they may be willing to support a plan in which pinpoint raids are carried out in Rafah in lieu of an all-out invasion. Such a plan would be expected to minimize civilian casualties while still hurting Hamas.
Israel insists Rafah operation is necessary to win war
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have insisted that an operation of some sort in Rafah is the only way to win the war and take down Hamas, as there are still four Hamas battalions standing in the city.