Netanyahu in an interview with Politico: "Most Israelis support the policies I lead"/documentation on social networks according to Section 27 A of the Copyright Law
US President, Joe Biden, and Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have in recent days set opposing "red lines" regarding the war in Gaza. These are expected to put them on a collision course if the IDF invades Rafah in the coming weeks - so said three senior officials Americans.
why is it important:
Senior American officials say that an Israeli operation in Rafah will most likely lead to a significant change in American policy - including the end of the US's automatic protection of Israel in UN institutions and the imposition of restrictions on the use of American weapons by the IDF in Gaza.
More than a million Palestinians are concentrated in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip - most of them have been displaced from their homes several times since the beginning of the war.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that his red line is that Israel must carry out a military operation in Rafah.
Netanyahu rejected Biden's claims and presented his own "red line" / Photo manipulation, Reuters, Yonatan Zindel / Flash 90
In the news center:
In an interview with MSNBC on Saturday, President Biden was asked whether Israeli military action in Rafah is a red line for the White House.
"Yes," he replied.
In the weeks leading up to the interview, Biden expressed concern about Israeli military action in Rafah and demanded from Netanyahu that Israel present a reliable and workable plan to protect the citizens there - however the interview on Saturday was the first time he referred to the issue as a "red line".
A day later, Netanyahu was interviewed by "Politico", rejected Biden's claims and presented his own "red line".
"We will go in there (to Rafah). I have a red line. Do you know what my red line is? That October 7 will never happen again," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu to the FOX network: "A quarter of the fighting force of Hamas is in Rafah"/screenshot, Fox News
Behind the Scenes:
Biden and Netanyahu have not spoken since February 15.
In their last phone call, Biden expressed concern about an Israeli operation in Rafah, the White House said.
In the weeks that have passed since then, there have been several discussions in the White House regarding a scenario of Israeli action in Rafah and the bottom line was that the Biden administration cannot allow such an action to take place - this is what senior American officials said.
The Biden administration believes that Israel cannot implement a Rafah evacuation plan in a way that would prevent massive harm to Palestinian civilians.
President Biden has not yet made any decisions regarding the American response to a possible IDF operation in Rafah, but two senior administration officials said that one of the response options being considered in the internal discussions between the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon is to impose restrictions on the IDF's use of American weapons in Gaza.
In such a situation, the US will not stop supplying weapons, but will define to Israel that certain types of American-made ammunition are prohibited for use in Rafah or the entire Gaza Strip and are permitted for use in other arenas such as Lebanon.
Another American senior official said that it is very likely that an Israeli invasion of Rafah would cause the US to allow the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
So far, the US has vetoed such decisions three times since the beginning of the war.
"If Netanyahu decides to change Biden's mouth and embark on such an operation - there will be a frontal confrontation," said an American official.
A spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House said that "these are speculations from anonymous sources and we will not refer to hypothetical scenarios."
The Biden administration cannot allow Israeli action in Rafah.
IDPs in Rafah/Reuters
Yes but:
The IDF is not expected to launch an operation in Rafah in the immediate term. Senior Israeli and American officials say that there is a low chance that such an operation will be launched before the end of the month of Ramadan in mid-April.
The War Cabinet has not yet made a decision on launching an operation in Rafah or on starting the evacuation of the population from there.
Once such a decision is made, a period of several weeks will be needed to implement the evacuation plan.
What they say:
Netanyahu claimed in an interview with the FOX network yesterday (Monday) that a quarter of Hamas' fighting force is in Rafah and therefore Israel should enter the city and destroy the Hamas battalions stationed there.
Avoiding action in Rafah would be similar to the decision of the Allies in World War II not to enter Berlin and leave a quarter of the Nazi army in place, Netanyahu said.
The Deputy White House Spokesperson, Olivia Dalton, said in a press briefing yesterday that Biden made it clear in an interview with MSNBC that the Rafah operation must not be carried out without a workable plan to maintain the safety of the citizens who find shelter in the city.
"So far we have not seen such a program," she said.
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Gaza Strip
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