During his meetings in Washington, D.C., Minister Benny Gantz pointed out to his colleagues in the White House that, contrary to the US position, Israel needs to continue the operation in Rafah. "Ending the war without overrunning Rafah is like sending firefighters to put out 80% of the fire," the Wall Street Journal quoted him as telling them.
According to the report, Gantz claimed that without a military operation in Rafah, Hamas would raise its head and reorganize during an upcoming ceasefire. According to an Israeli source, the minister's position is shared by other members of the war cabinet, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Gallant. Harris also criticized Israel's handling of Gaza's humanitarian needs.
"Gantz was surprised by the gap in the positions between Israel and the US when it comes to the operation in Rafah," claimed the report.