On video: Netanyahu on the operation in Rafah, after his conversation with Biden it will take some time to prepare for it/official website
During a secure video call on Monday, senior Israeli officials told their American counterparts that they would need four weeks to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah before an IDF ground invasion of the city. The senior American officials responded that Israel had underestimated the difficulty of such a move, three sources said. Regarding the contents of the meeting.
why is it important
The dispute between the parties during the meeting regarding the necessary schedule for carrying out the evacuation of civilians from Rafih was only one of several disputes that exist around the issue that has become one of the main points of tension between Israel and the US when it comes to the war in Gaza.
In the news center
The two-and-a-half-hour meeting of the joint strategic working group of Israel and the US took place after a crisis between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu over the US decision not to veto a UN Security Council resolution that called for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The head of the American side of the talks was White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Tony Blinken. The Israeli side was headed by Netanyahu's associates - Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. They were also joined in the meeting by senior military officers, intelligence officers and diplomats from both countries.
Two sources who comment on the contents of the meeting said that it was conducted in a businesslike and good manner and despite the differences, the two sides held a serious discussion in an attempt to reach an understanding and did not conduct a dialogue of the deaf.
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Behind the Scenes
A significant part of the discussion focused on the question of evacuating the over one million Palestinian citizens who have taken refuge in Rafah since the beginning of the war. The Biden administration is very concerned that a hasty and insufficiently organized evacuation of the population from Rafah will result in a humanitarian disaster.
Three sources briefed on the contents of the meeting said that the Israeli side presented general ideas regarding the way in which it plans to evacuate the population from Rafah and noted that the Israelis said they would need at least four people crying for the evacuation, but added that the process could be prolonged in light of the developments on the ground.
The American side told the Israelis that their time estimate is unrealistic and that the US believes that such a process will take longer. The American side noted that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has intensified in the past five months, which does not increase confidence in Israel's ability to carry out mass evacuations from Gaza in an efficient and orderly manner.
Two sources familiar with the contents of the meeting stated that one of the American representatives said that he believes that a planned and organized evacuation of civilians from Rafih may take four months. The Israeli side rejected this assessment outright.
"It is clear to everyone that both sides will have to find a compromise formula on the issue of the evacuation schedule," said one of the sources.
the situation picture
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned the Israelis during the meeting that within two to three weeks the IPC organization that is responsible for food security around the world may declare that Gaza is a famine-stricken area, according to two sources familiar with the contents of the meeting.
Sullivan told the Israelis that if this happens, it will be the third time in the 21st century that such an announcement has been made. "It won't be good for Israel and it won't be good for the US and it is still possible to change direction and prevent it," Sullivan said.
Some of Sullivan's words at the meeting were reported by journalist Yaron Avraham on News 12.
According to two sources who comment on the details of the meeting, the Israeli side rejected the statements and claimed that according to the assessment in Israel, Gaza is not on the verge of starvation. The Israelis claimed that the IDF has the best information regarding the situation on the ground in Gaza and noted that the estimates that Gaza is close to a famine are based on incorrect information.
One of the sources stated that the American side emphasized that Israel is the only country in the world that claims that Gaza is not on the brink of starvation. The US representatives made it clear during the meeting that they do not agree with the Israeli assessment, especially regarding the situation in the northern Gaza Strip, and emphasized that denying the problem is not a helpful position for Israel.
Why for the sake of it?
Two sources familiar with the contents of the meeting said that during it the US presented initial ideas for an alternative to a broad IDF ground invasion of Rafah.
The American alternative approach presented at the meeting is based on isolating Rafah from the rest of the Gaza Strip, securing the border between Egypt and the Strip, focusing on countermeasures from Hamas commanders in Rafah and carrying out targeted raids by ground forces based on intelligence.
The main American message at the meeting was that despite the agreement that Hamas must also be defeated in Rafah, the IDF must operate in the city in a slower and less intense manner than the way it operated in the north of the Gaza Strip and in Khan Yunis.
what are they saying
In a joint statement at the end of the meeting, the parties emphasized that they agree that Israel and the US have a common goal of defeating Hamas in Rafah.
"The American side emphasized its concern regarding the courses of action that Israel is considering regarding Rafah. The Israeli side agreed to consider the American concerns and hold follow-up meetings on the issue," the statement said.
What next
Israel and the US agreed during the meeting that in the next 10 days there will be separate virtual follow-up meetings of four working groups of experts who will focus on various areas related to the operation in Rafah: intelligence, operational plans, humanitarian solutions and the security of the border with Egypt.
After these working groups meet, there will be another high-level meeting between Israel and the US in the next two weeks - this time face to face in Washington.
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