Biden warns Netanyahu against major Rafah attack as divide between leaders grows

07 May 2024 , 09:23

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Joe Biden has warned against a Rafah offensive (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Joe Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching an offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah as the divide between the two leaders continues to grow.

The call between the two politicians came as Israel launched an assault on the city - located on the border with Egypt - where more than one million Palestinians were displaced due to widespread destruction and relentless attacks in Gaza since October 2023. Since October, more than 34,600 people have been killed - including 14,500 children - and Biden warned Netanyahu that a major offensive in Rafah will only lead to more death and despair.

Both leaders are facing growing public pressure - Biden from protests on college campuses and Netanyahu from the families of some Israeli hostages - for a ceasefire deal. "The president doesn't want to see operations in Rafah that put at greater risk the more than a million people that are seeking refuge there," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The White House described the 30-minute conversation between the two leaders as "constructive". Privately, however, administration officials' concern was mounting as Israel on Monday ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate from Rafah and began carrying out "targeted" strikes in the eastern part of the city.

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The humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating in huge swaths of Gaza. The head of the United Nations World Food Program, Cindy McCain, said Sunday that northern Gaza has entered "full-blown famine" after nearly seven months of war.

ActionAid warned a Gaza offensive would lead to "catastrophic consequences" due to the high number of displaced Palestinians in Rafah. It said in a statement shared with The Mirror: "Forcing over a million displaced Palestinians from Rafah to evacuate without a safe destination is not only unlawful but would lead to catastrophic consequences.

Biden warns Netanyahu against major Rafah attack as divide between leaders grows

Children in Rafah queue to receive a bowl of food for their families (Anadolu via Getty Images)

"Our aid workers are reporting some of the most severe conditions in recent memory with widespread disease, starvation and chaos. Let us be clear, there are no safe zones in Gaza.

"The international community must act swiftly to prevent further atrocities and hold themselves as well as the Israeli government to account - if an invasion of Rafah is your 'red line' will you do everything possible to stop this imminent attack?"

Hamas and key mediator Qatar said that invading Rafah would derail efforts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire. Days earlier, Hamas had been discussing a US-backed proposal that reportedly raised the possibility of an end to the war and a pullout of Israeli troops in return for the release of all hostages held by the group. Israeli officials have rejected that trade-off, vowing to continue their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.

The Israeli 401st Brigade entered the Rafah crossing early on Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said, taking "operational control" of the crucial border point. Footage released by the Israeli military showed Israeli flags flying from tanks that seized the crossing area. Details of the video matched known features of the crossing.

The military also carried out a flurry of strikes and bombardment across Rafah overnight, killing at least 23 Palestinians, including at least six women and five children, according to hospital records. The Rafah crossing is the main route for aid entering the besieged enclave and exit for those able to flee into Egypt.

Protesters stage a demonstration to demand the resignation of Netanyahu's government in Jerusalem (Anadolu via Getty Images)

Both Rafah and the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza, the other main aid entry point, have been closed for at least the past two days. Though smaller entry points still operate, the closure is a blow to efforts to maintain the flow of food, medicine and other supplies that are keeping Gaza's population alive.

This morning, Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary wrote on X that no one in Gaza is allowed to travel and all aid has been stopped from entering the strip. She added: "We are literally trapped."

Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN humanitarian affairs office, warned that an assault on Rafah could break the fragile aid operation. He said all fuel entering Gaza comes through Rafah, and any disruption will halt humanitarian work. "It will plunge this crisis into unprecedented levels of need, including the very real possibility of a famine," he said.