2024-03-26 02:21:30
3/26/2024-|Last update: 3/26/202405:28 AM (Mecca time)
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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a meeting in Washington on Monday of the dangers of invading Rafah, reiterating the United States’ rejection of such a large-scale military operation.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement that Blinken “reiterated the support of the United States to ensure the defeat of Hamas, including in Rafah, but he reiterated his opposition to a large-scale ground operation in Rafah.”
The spokesman added that the American minister “stressed the existence of alternatives other than a large-scale ground invasion of Rafah, which would better guarantee Israel’s security and protect Palestinian civilians.”
The meeting between Blinken and Gallant was held at the State Department headquarters in Washington on Monday, hours after Israel canceled a visit by a high-level delegation to the American capital.
Israel canceled the visit in protest against Washington’s failure to use its veto power in the UN Security Council to prevent the issuance of a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Before the meeting between the two ministers, Miller told reporters, “I am confident that we will find other ways to express our concerns.”
He continued, “We believe that this type of large-scale invasion would be a mistake, not only because of the damage it could cause to civilians, the cost of which could be enormous.”
He pointed out that there are currently about 1.4 million people in Rafah and that Israel has not presented a coherent evacuation plan.
In addition to all of that, Miller said, “This type of invasion would weaken Israel’s security and make it less safe, not more secure. It would undermine its position in the world.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to send a delegation to Washington to discuss American concerns related to Rafah.
But he announced on Monday that he would not send any delegation to Washington after it abstained from voting against a Security Council resolution calling for an immediate truce in Gaza during the month of Ramadan.
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