News|Israel War on Gaza

Israel seeks new date for cancelled US meeting on Rafah offensive plans

Israeli PM had called off Washington visit after US did not veto UN Security Council resolution on Gaza ceasefire.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held wide-ranging discussions with senior U.S. officials this week and sought to lower the temperature between the two governments. Gallant, though not part of Netanyahu's inner circle, is a key architect of the campaign against Hamas in retaliation for the militants' Oct. 7 rampage that Israel says killed 1,200 people. Israel's military response has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, according to the health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave. The Israeli team will still be led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, two of Netanyahu's close confidants, according to a person familiar with the matter. The talks are expected to focus on Israel's threatened offensive in Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday, "We do," when asked if the U.S. believes a limited military campaign in Rafah can take out remaining commanders of the Palestinian militant group. The White House said last week it intended to share with Israeli officials alternatives for eliminating Hamas' remaining battalions in Rafah without a full-scale ground invasion that Washington says would be a "disaster." The threat of such an offensive has increased differences between close allies the United States and Israel, and raised questions about whether the U.S. might restrict military aid if Netanyahu defies Biden and presses ahead anyway. Biden, running for re-election in November, faces pressure not just from America's allies but from a growing number of fellow Democrats to rein in the Israeli military response in Gaza. Biden’s decision to abstain at the U.N., coming after months of mostly adhering to longtime U.S. policy of shielding Israel at the world body, appeared to reflect growing U.S. frustration with the Israeli leader. Netanyahu issued a stinging rebuke, calling the U.S. move a "clear retreat" from its previous position and would hurt Israel's war efforts and negotiations to free more than 130 hostages still held in Gaza. U.S. officials said at the time that the Biden administration was perplexed by Netanyahu's decision and considered it an overreaction, insisting there had been no change in policy.
US officials said the Biden administration was perplexed by the earlier cancellation by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [File: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters]
Published On 28 Mar 2024

Israel has asked the United States to reschedule a meeting to discuss its military operation in Gaza’s Rafah days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly cancelled a planned visit to Washington.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday told reporters that “we’re now working with them to find a convenient date that’s obviously going to work for both sides”.

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Netanyahu was angry that the US on Monday did not veto a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives being held in the enclave.

He reacted by scrapping a scheduled visit to Washington by a senior Israeli delegation as relations between the allies spiralled to new lows.

US officials said the administration of President Joe Biden was perplexed by the cancellation and considered it an overreaction to the resolution, insisting there had been no change in policy.

No date has yet been finalised for the meeting, but US news outlet Axios reported that it could take place as early as next week.

The Israeli team will still be led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, two of Netanyahu’s close confidantes, according to a US official.

Netanyahu has approved plans for a long-threatened ground invasion of Rafah – the southernmost tip of Gaza where about 1.5 million displaced Palestinians have sought shelter – despite warnings from Israel’s allies and critics who fear mass civilian casualties.

The United Nations has warned Israel that such an operation “could lead to a slaughter in Gaza”.

Last week, Netanyahu said Israel was determined to send troops into Rafah and would do so without US backing, if necessary.

Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said it was “foolish, stupid and shortsighted” of Netanyahu to cancel the original meeting.

The Israeli prime minister was angry that the US did not veto the resolution “because he thinks Biden takes orders from him. He thinks America takes orders from Israel”, he added.

Netanyahu on Wednesday said his decision to cancel was meant to deliver a message to Hamas that international pressure against Israel will not prompt it to end the war without concessions from the group.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies