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U.S. Pushes to Shape Israel's Rafah Operation, Not Stop It
(Wall Street Journal) Michael R. Gordon - In meetings on Monday and Tuesday between Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and senior officials in the White House and Pentagon, discussions on Israel's planned military operation in southern Gaza focused not on how to stop it, but on how to protect civilians during its rollout. The discussions were on a phased operation to reduce the potential harm to civilians while still ensuring that Israel dismantles Hamas' four battalions in Rafah. "I think there is an understanding we have to dismantle Hamas," Gallant said, following his White House meetings. Both sides agreed that the Hamas battalions in Rafah must be dislodged so that the militants cannot attempt a comeback or continue to smuggle weapons into the enclave, which are prerequisites for ending the war and paving the way for a new political authority in Gaza. After negotiations in Doha, Qatar, on a temporary ceasefire stalled last weekend, Israeli officials told mediators that it could launch an operation in Rafah as soon as Ramadan ends around mid-April if efforts to reach a deal fail, Egyptian officials said Wednesday.