The situation remains tense between the two allies.
In a telephone exchange with Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden asked him to send a delegation to Washington to discuss how to avoid a widespread assault in the town of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip .
This summons is one of Joe Biden's clearest attempts to try to slow down Israel, a country which is planning a major ground offensive by its army in Rafah which could turn into a major humanitarian disaster, according to the UN.
Also read “The last refugee refuge”: in Rafah, the mirage of an evacuation of civilians before the final offensive
“I asked the Prime Minister to send a team to Washington to discuss ways to target Hamas without leading a large ground offensive in Rafah,” explained Joe Biden, reiterating “the need for a ceasefire "immediately as part of an agreement on the release of the hostages, lasting several weeks, so that the hostages can return home and aid can be delivered to civilians in Gaza.
According to the United States, an offensive on Rafah would be “a mistake,” as American national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
According to him, this would “lead to more innocent victims, worsen the already serious humanitarian situation, reinforce anarchy in Gaza and further isolate Israel” on the international stage.
Death of Hamas number 3
In principle, Israel would have given the green light for sending this delegation.
According to Sullivan, discussions should also focus on the possibility of an "alternative approach" aimed at hitting Hamas in Rafah without a major ground offensive.
Sullivan also said he expects Israel to refrain from launching an operation in Rafah, on the border with Egypt, before this discussion in Washington takes place.
“We share the objective of defeating Hamas, but we believe that a coherent and sustainable strategy is needed to achieve this,” he added, estimating that Israel had already made “significant progress” against the group. Palestinian.
The White House confirmed on Monday the death last week in Gaza of the deputy head of Hamas's armed wing, Marwan Issa, who becomes the highest-ranking official killed in this territory by the Israeli army since the beginning of the war.
A few months before the presidential election in the United States, the outgoing American president, whose relations with Benjamin Netanyahu are increasingly tense, must also face increasing political pressure within his country from of the Muslim and Arab American population as well as young voters.
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For his part, Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a statement, following his conversation with Joe Biden, that he had reiterated “Israel's commitment to achieving all the objectives of the war”.
He cited as goals the elimination of Hamas, the release of all hostages held by the group and “ensuring that Gaza will never pose a threat to Israel.”
Blinken's new Middle East tour
After visiting South Korea before stopping in the Philippines, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will then make a new tour of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and then Egypt as part of efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and increase humanitarian aid there, the State Department spokesperson announced from Manila on Tuesday.
In Jeddah on Wednesday, Antony Blinken will hold talks with Saudi leaders before traveling to Cairo on Thursday for discussions with top Egyptian officials, according to spokesperson Matthew Miller.
This will be his sixth trip to the Middle East since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
The head of American diplomacy will discuss "efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire agreement guaranteeing the release of all remaining hostages, the intensification of international efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and post-conflict coordination in Gaza,” the spokesperson added.
Blinken will also address the question of “a political path for the Palestinian people with security guarantees for Israel, and an architecture for lasting peace and security in the region,” he said.