US considering responses to 'Israel' invading Rafah against warnings

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: NBC News
17 Mar 2024 08:19
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An NBC report notes that this comes amid an atmosphere of concern and disappointment among Democrats in Congress because "Israel" keeps brushing off President Joe Biden's warnings.

A Palestinian boy sits outside a residential building destroyed in an Israeli strike in Rafah on March 9, 2024. (AP)

US officials claim that the US is contemplating possible response options if "Israel" invades Rafah against the US administration's warnings and without a plan to protect civilians, NBC News reported.

The NBC report noted that this comes amid an atmosphere of concern and disappointment among Democrats in Congress because "Israel" keeps brushing off President Joe Biden's warnings.

Senator Chris Van Hollen was quoted as saying, "Time and again, President Biden calls upon the Netanyahu government to take certain actions, and for the most part, time and again, Netanyahu ignores the president of the United States. And so I think that makes the United States look ineffective."

It added that the US allegedly warned "Israel" against carrying out a full-scale invasion in Rafah and suggested smaller and more targeted counterterrorism actions.

Meanwhile, a National Security Council spokesperson was quoted as saying, "We have been clear about the need to prioritize civilian protection."

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Controversy has surrounded the potential US conditioning of aid to "Israel" in the event of an Israeli operation in Rafah, however, a POLITICO report revealed that US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan dismissed such claims as "uninformed speculation".

According to the report, a number of senior US officials confirmed that US President Joe Biden supported the Israeli occupation government's decision to pursue "high-value Hamas targets in and underneath Rafah," under the condition that "Israel avoids a large-scale invasion that could fracture the alliance."

The American President stated on MSNBC last Saturday that he opposed the war escalating into Rafah and that he could not tolerate "30,000 more Palestinians dead."

The US drafted a new resolution, which is not yet available for vote, for the United Nations Security Council, expressing concern about the Israeli plan to invade Rafah and encompassing a truce between "Israel" and Hamas, CNN reported on Friday.

Indeed, the US expresses concern, yet it has so far vetoed three ceasefire resolutions at the UNSC.

The draft reportedly highlights how the invasion of Rafah would cause more civilian losses and casualties, provoking escalated tensions and jeopardizing regional peace and security.