'Israel' to invade Rafah with or without US backing: Netanyahu
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The Israeli Prime Minister said he hoped the invasion would take place with US support but that if he "has to" he will go ahead without it.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a joint press conference on January 30, 2023 (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting on Friday that 'Israel' will enter Rafah with or without US help.
According to Netanyahu's office, the prime minister reminded the secretary of state during a Friday meeting that the occupation appreciates US assistance for its war on Gaza. According to a statement from Netanyahu's office, " I told him I hope we do it with US support, but if we have to, we'll do it alone."
Blinken says Hamas can be 'dealt with' without Rafah invasion
After meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed that the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, could be "Dealt with" without resorting to military action in Rafah.
"Hamas can be effectively dealt with without a major ground operation in Rafah," Blinken stated in a press briefing.
The statement was issued on the same day that Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced that the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, as well as the UAE Secretary of State for International Cooperation and the Executive Chief of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), had called for the opening of all border crossings between "Israel" and the Gaza Strip.
Blinken has set on his sixth tour to the Middle East, starting with a visit to Saudi Arabia, to hold talks with Prince Mohammed Bin Salman regarding the Israeli war on Gaza, then leading to Egypt on Thursday, and concluding it with a visit to the Israeli occupation.
Speaking about what he described as long-term peace, "Israel's" number one arms supplier's State Secretary Blinken expressed that he agreed with Arab leaders about the "need for long-term peace and security."
Earlier, on March 15, the Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas announced that it had presented to mediators in Qatar and Egypt a comprehensive vision regarding its stance on halting the aggression on the Gaza Strip and the issue of prisoner exchange with the Israeli occupation.
US President Joe Biden's administration is considering various options instead of an Israeli ground invasion of the southern Gazan city of Rafah, which it plans to present to a senior Israeli delegation visiting Washington next week, Axios reported citing two US officials.
