The White House on Thursday warned Israel against “invading” the southern city of Rafah and repeated the threat to withhold certain weapons from Israeli forces in the event of an operation there.
John Kirby, White House national security spokesman, told reporters that Israel had effectively eliminated Hamas military leaders and units, a fact that he said changed the calculus of how Israeli soldiers should approach the rest of the fighting in Israel. Gaza.
Kirby argued that Hamas “did not feel and did not suffer the types of pressure and the types of casualties that it has suffered now,” while highlighting why the Biden administration was now withholding some weapons from Israel.
“Through the fighting they’ve had over the last few months, they’ve decimated many of their units,” Kirby said. “Hamas’ image today is not what it was six months ago, as a result of the pressure the Israelis put on it.”
Kirby said a depleted Hamas force means Israel will not have to conduct a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering.
“We believe they have put enormous pressure on Hamas and that there are better ways to go after what is left of Hamas in Rafah than a major ground operation,” Kirby added.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in February that Israeli forces had destroyed almost all of Hamas’ regional battalions and were now expected to advance towards Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to carry out the complete destruction of Hamas, said the militant group is hiding its last battalions in Rafah and that forces must move into the city to defeat them.
Kirby, however, said a major operation in Rafah would not guarantee Hamas’ defeat.
“Crushing Rafah, in [Biden’s] vision, will not advance that goal, will not achieve that sustainable and lasting defeat of Hamas,” he said. “But there are many things we can do together that will [include] doing everything in our power to help Israel ensure that the border between Gaza and Egypt cannot be used to smuggle arms and weapons for Hamas. We could also, in fact, help them achieve the [Hamas] leaders.”
President Biden on Wednesday told CNN that he would withhold offensive weapons from Israel if forces launched a major ground operation in Rafah. His administration is already suspending the launch of around 3,500 heavy bombs against Israel, which generates frustration on the part of Republicans and Israeli authorities.
Biden faces large domestic protests from progressives, Arab-Americans and young adults, including thousands of college students protesting U.S. policy in Gaza, where more than 34,000 people have died in seven months of war.
Biden has largely supported Israel while trying to reduce the number of civilian deaths in Gaza. But Rafah has been a concern for the president, and U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Israel in recent months to discuss other options in the southern city besides a major invasion.
Israel has already moved into Rafah, this week occupying a humanitarian aid border crossing that connects to Egypt, but has not yet launched a major operation.
When asked why the Biden administration is drawing the line now, after Israel has already invaded other cities in Gaza, Kirby repeated on Thursday that the large number of people sheltering in Rafah is “driving” concerns.
Kirby explained that if Israel enters Rafah “in a big way,” the US “will make other decisions about the kind of support we are providing to Israel.”
“We hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said. “We hope Israel doesn’t do that.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
