Biden warns Netanyahu not to attack Rafah without plan, Israel says 'thoroughly planning'
U.S. President Joe Biden has again cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against moving forward with a military operation into Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah without a "credible and executable plan" to protect around 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering there.
However, Israel's defense minister said the country is "thoroughly planning" its promised ground invasion of Rafah, and Netanyahu vowed early Friday to reject "international dictates" on a long-term resolution of Israel's conflict with the Palestinians.
Two Israeli airstrikes on Rafah overnight killed at least 13 people, including nine members of the same family, according to hospital officials and relatives.
The number of Palestinians killed during the war in Gaza has surpassed 28,000 people, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. A quarter of Gaza's residents are starving.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters that Rafah is "the next Hamas center of gravity" that Israel plans on targeting.
"We are thoroughly planning future operations in Rafah, which is a significant Hamas stronghold," he said.
He declined to say when the operation might begin.
As he spoke, Israel pressed ahead with its operation in the nearby southern city of Khan Younis, where troops have focused on its main hospital.
Gallant said a total of 70 militants have been arrested in the hospital. He alleged 20 of them participated in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack that triggered the war.
Gallant also said that Israel has "no intention" of forcing Palestinian civilians into Egypt.
Israel has promised a military operation in Rafah, a southern Gaza town along the Egyptian border where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge. The Israeli pledges have raised fears that large numbers of civilians could be pushed across the border — a scenario Egypt says is unacceptable.
Gallant told reporters Friday that Israel understands Egypt's concerns.
"The state of Israel has no intention of evacuating Palestinian civilians to Egypt," he said. "We respect and value our peace agreement with Egypt, which is a cornerstone of stability in the region as well as an important partner."
New satellite photos show that Egypt is building a wall near the border in its territory that appears to be in anticipation of an Israeli operation in Rafah.
Source: Associated Press
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