US and 'Israel' agree on 'objective to see Hamas defeated in Rafah'
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Following a Strategic Consultative Group videoconference, the White House revealed that "Israel" will consider US concerns in its planned offensive in Rafah.
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Mohsen Muammar carries the body of his son Muhammad, 3, killed in the Israeli occupation's genocide of the Gaza Strip, on his way to bury him in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, March 29, 2024. (AP)
The White House announced, on Monday, that the Israeli occupation, in its planned offensive in the densely populated city of Rafah, will take "into account" US concerns, as regional tensions escalate.
This was revealed after the US and "Israel" convened the Strategic Consultative Group (SCG) wherein the two held a two-hour videoconference which was attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the American side, with Sullivan's Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi and the Israeli occupation's Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
According to the White House statement, the videoconference resulted in "constructive engagement on Rafah," explaining that "the US side expressed its concerns with various courses of action in Rafah," and in turn, "the Israeli side agreed to take these concerns into account and to have follow up discussions between experts, overseen by the SCG."
The statement further stressed that the discussions could be taking place in person as early as next week, especially given that the two have "agreed that they share the objective to see Hamas defeated in Rafah. "
US facilitates Rafah invasion, approves thousands of bombs to 'Israel'
As the United States criticizes the Israeli plan to invade Rafah and warns of subsequent consequences, it has simultaneously approved billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets for the occupation, the Washington Post reported on March 29.
The Washington Post, citing Pentagon and State Department officials, revealed that the new military package consists of 1,800 units of MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 500 of the MK-82 500-pound bombs, and 25 F-35 fighter jets. The latter is part of a previously approved arms package, and this marks the third 25-jet batch, mounting the F-35 fleet size to 75.
Commenting on the continued aid to "Israel", a White House official said conditioning aid is not the United States policy, the Washington Post relayed.
Sixty-nine percent of "Israel's" arms acquisitions in 2023 came from US corporations, 30% came from Germany, and 0.9% from Italy, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) annual study issued in March.
The report detailed that “at the end of 2023, the USA rapidly delivered thousands of guided bombs and missiles to Israel."
"By the end of 2023, pending deliveries of major arms to Israel included 61 combat aircraft from the USA and 4 submarines from Germany," according to the report.
According to SIPRI, the US has sold fighter planes to the occupation in recent decades, allowing the IOF to strike Palestinian Resistance movements and the Lebanese Resistance - Hezbollah.
Read more: IOF strike in Gaza kills several foreign aid workers: NGO
