US says 'reviewing' Hamas response, urges 'Israel' not to invade Rafah
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State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller says the United States will not support the invasion of Rafah "currently envisioned by Israel."
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State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller answers questions about an American soldier detained in the DPRK after he willfully crossed the border from South Korea during a news briefing at the State Department on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Washington. (AP/Nathan Howard)
The United States said Monday it was reviewing a response from Hamas to a ceasefire proposal as it renewed calls to "Israel" not to invade the packed Gaza city of Rafah.
Earlier, Hamas' Media Office said the movement informed mediators that it has agreed to a proposed prisoner exchange and ceasefire deal with the Israeli occupation.
"I can confirm that Hamas has issued a response. We are reviewing that response now and discussing it with our partners in the region," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
Head of Hamas' Foreign Relations Department, Ali Baraka, told Al Mayadeen that the US delegate in Qatar has approved the proposal agreed on by Hamas, noting that it is now up to Washington to convey the proposal to the Israeli side.
CIA Director Bill Burns "is in the region working on this in real time," Miller said.
He declined to characterize the Hamas response but said the United States backed a deal to halt the fighting and release the Israeli captives held by the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza.
As the United States reviews the Hamas reply, President Joe Biden's administration renewed calls on "Israel" not to invade Rafah.
Miller reiterated that the United States will not support the invasion of Rafah "currently envisioned by Israel," because it has "not seen a humanitarian plan that is credible and that is implementable."
"We believe a military operation in Rafah right now would dramatically increase the suffering of the Palestinian people (and) would lead to an increase in loss of civilian life," he said.
Biden earlier Monday spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the White House saying the president reiterated his "clear" stance on Rafah.
Israeli media reported that there are concerns in "Israel" that the United States will support the new deal agreed by Hamas, which does not meet the criteria agreed upon by Israeli officials.
The Israeli war cabinet approved a military operation in Rafah "in order to apply military pressure on Hamas, with the goal of making progress on freeing the hostages and the other war aims," Netanyahu's office announced in a statement.
The statement claimed that Hamas’ response to the ceasefire proposal is "far from Israel’s obligatory demands."
Read more: Potential Rafah invasion sparks regional, international rejection
