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The U.S. Privately told Israel the Kind of Rafah Campaign It Could Support
(Politico) Alexander Ward - The Biden administration is still grappling with what kind of Israeli military operation it can accept in Rafah, with U.S. officials knowing full well Israel wants to eliminate Hamas' four battalions in the Gaza city on Egypt's border. Senior U.S. officials have told their Israeli counterparts the Biden administration would support Israel going after high-value Hamas targets in and underneath Rafah - as long as Israel avoids a large-scale invasion. Israeli officials said the military is still developing ideas to ensure the safety of 1.3 million Palestinians in and around the city, many of whom fled there to avoid the war. An Israeli official said, "At the end of the day, we cannot win this war without defeating Hamas' battalions in Rafah." U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that President Biden is focused on "the protection of civilians and about Israel being able to sustain a campaign in a way that ultimately leads to an outcome in which the people of Israel are secure, Hamas is crushed, and there is a long-term solution to stability and peace in the region."