US still against Rafah invasion despite being scheduled: State Dept.

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Apr 2024 22:38
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Netanyahu stated in a post on X earlier today that a date has been scheduled for the Rafah invasion, but he did not disclose which day exactly.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller answers questions at the State Department on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday that the US still opposes "Israel's" plans to launch a ground invasion of Rafah after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scheduled a date for the assault.

This comes after Netanyahu stated in a post on X today that a date has been scheduled for the Rafah invasion, but he did not disclose the specific date.

"We have made clear to Israel that we think a full-scale military invasion of Rafah would have an enormously harmful effect on those civilians and that it would ultimately hurt Israel's security," Miller said when asked to comment about Netanyahu's remarks.

President Joe Biden's administration has previously issued multiple calls for the regime to present a plan to allegedly protect civilians in Rafah, where approximately 1.5 million Palestinians have sought shelter.

"It's not just a question of Israel presenting a plan to us. We have made clear to them that we think that there is a better way to achieve what is a legitimate goal, which is to degrade and dismantle and defeat the Hamas battalions that still remain in Rafah," Miller added.

Since the start of the war on Gaza, the US has demonstrated strong support towards "Israel" with the exception of it refraining from vetoing a UN Security Council resolution on March 25.

For years, the US has been pushing for a Saudi-Israeli normalization agreement, which has been stalled due to "Israel's" refusal to grant Palestine statehood.

During a press briefing in Brussels on April 4, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned "Israel" that if it continues its military operation while neglecting civilian safety and protection, a shift in US policy will occur.

"With regard to our policy in Gaza, if we don't see the changes that we need to see, there will be changes in our policy," he said.

On March 27, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine Mohammad al-Hindi said that disputes between Washington and "Tel Aviv" were merely theatrical, and that their disagreements being tactical rather than strategic.

On April 1, "Israel" committed an aggression on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, resulting in the deaths of multiple high-rank IRGC officials.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi blamed the US and "Israel" for the aggression. However, the US dismissed the accusation, saying it had "no involvement" in the attack.