Topline
Officials from the U.S. and Israel will meet virtually Monday to discuss Israel’s Rafah operation—one week after the original meeting was canceled by Israel when the U.S. didn’t veto a United Nations Security Council resolution that called for an immediate cease-fire, which passed.
Key Facts
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be at the meeting, along with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and CNN reported the pair will stress “alternative ways” Israel could defeat Hamas that do not include an operation in Rafah.
The U.S. officials will meet with Ron Dermer, an Israeli war cabinet minister, and Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, NBC News reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official.
The meeting between high level U.S. and Israeli officials was scheduled for last week in Washington, D.C., but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the planned delegation after he said the U.S. “abandoned its policy” that linked a cease-fire to the release of hostages by allowing the United Nations resolution to pass.
Two days after Netanyahu canceled the meeting, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said officials were working to reschedule it, adding U.S. officials were still discussing a hostage deal and “remain hopeful” that it can help establish a temporary cease-fire.
Key Background
Last Monday, the United Nations Security Council passed a legally binding resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza during Ramadan and the “immediate, unconditional release of all hostages.” The resolution—which was the fifth resolution calling for a cease-fire put before the council—passed with 14 out of 15 member countries voting in its favor and the U.S. abstaining from the vote. Just minutes after the vote, Netanyahu followed through on his threat to cancel the delegation to Washington, D.C., if the U.S. didn’t veto the resolution. The delegation was requested by President Joe Biden to discuss U.S. military support and Israel’s planned operation in Rafah, a town in southern Gaza hosting more than one million Palestinians seeking refuge. Netanyahu has continued to threaten an invasion of Rafah in an attempt to destroy Hamas, but international leaders have warned an attack on the town would have severe humanitarian impacts. Before Netanyahu canceled the original delegation, Vice President Kamala Harris said an attack on Rafah would “be a huge mistake,” and warned there could be “consequences” if Israel goes through with the attack. French President Emmanuel Macron said an invasion would be considered a “war crime,” and the UN’s top humanitarian official warned in February an invasion “could lead to a slaughter in Gaza.”