Israel team to visit US over Biden concerns on Rafah, Gaza ‘anarchy’

WASHINGTON – United States President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 18 that an Israeli military operation in Rafah would deepen anarchy in Gaza, and they agreed that teams from each side would meet in Washington to discuss it, the White House said.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that the two countries would have a comprehensive discussion on the way forward in Gaza, where a humanitarian crisis is raging after six months of fighting.

The meeting could happen this week or next, Mr Sullivan said, and no Rafah operation would proceed before the talks.

“Anarchy reigns in areas that Israel’s military has cleared, but not stabilised” in Gaza and a humanitarian crisis would deepen if Israel were to go ahead with an offensive in Rafah, Mr Sullivan said, summarising Mr Biden’s message to Mr Netanyahu.

“We’ve had many discussions in many different levels between our military, our intelligence, our diplomats or humanitarian experts, but we have not yet had the opportunity to have an all-encompassing comprehensive, integrated, strategic discussion,” he said.

The two leaders have had increasingly tense relations over Gaza.

Mr Sullivan described the conversation as “business-like” and said it did not end abruptly. Mr Biden did not threaten to limit US aid to Israel, he added.

Mr Biden told Mr Netanyahu that he needs a coherent strategy for Gaza, Mr Sullivan said, “rather than Israel go smashing into Rafah”.

He reiterated US support for the Israeli effort to destroy Hamas militants who

attacked southern Israel on Oct 7.

The call was the first between the two leaders since Feb 15 and comes amid sharp tensions between Israel and its most steadfast ally over Mr Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu said the two men discussed Israel’s commitment to achieve all the targets it had set out for the war: eliminating Hamas, releasing all the hostages and ensuring Gaza would no longer pose a threat to Israel.

This would be done “while providing the necessary humanitarian aid that helps achieve those goals”, he said in a statement.

In a speech on March 14, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a long-time supporter of Israel and the highest-ranking Jewish elected official, called for new elections in Israel and said Mr Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace.

Mr Biden praised the speech the following day and said Mr Schumer had echoed the concerns of many Americans.

Mr Netanyahu responded harshly on March 17, telling CNN in an interview that Mr Schumer’s speech was “totally inappropriate”.

Mr Netanyahu reaffirmed to a Cabinet meeting on March 17 that Israeli forces would thrust into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded enclave, despite international pressure for Israel to avoid further civilian casualties. REUTERS