A few hours after yesterday's (Monday) phone call between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, American National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that it was agreed that Israel will send a political delegation to Washington, D.C. to discuss its planned attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
According to Sullivan, "Israel has not presented to us or the world how they will evacuate civilians. There are ways for Israel to win this conflict without 'Going all in' in Rafah." He also warned that "a major ground operation in Rafah would be a mistake. It would lead to more civilian killings, a worse humanitarian situation, deepen the anarchy in Gaza, and isolate Israel internationally."
Netanyahu said that the two leaders discussed Israel's commitment to achieving all the goals of the war: the elimination of Hamas, the release of all Israeli hostages, and the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel - while providing the necessary humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians help achieve these goals.
The conversation was overshadowed by widespread tensions between Israel and the White House, and growing criticism of Israel's conduct in the war.
On Sunday, Netanyahu sharply rebuked Biden at the beginning of the cabinet meeting, claiming that, "in the international community, there are those who are trying to end the war now, before securing all its goals. They do this by hurling false accusations against the IDF, against the government of Israel, and against the head of the government of Israel."