Speaking less than a day after Biden’s warning to Israel, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Palestinian militant group Hamas has suffered in Gaza.
The fact Hamas has lost military leaders and battalions should factor into how Israel approaches Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering, Kirby added.
“The picture of Hamas today is not what it was six months ago,” Kirby said. “There are better ways to go after what is left of Hamas in Rafah than a major ground operation.”
Kirby defended President Biden’s CNN interview Wednesday night, in which the president said he would withhold offensive weapons to Israel should they conduct a full-scale invasion of Rafah.
“They’re not going to get our support if in fact they go into these population centers,” Biden said. “We’re not walking away from Israel’s security. We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas.”
Biden is already holding up some 3,500 bombs that were slated to be sent to Israel.
The warning is the most significant Biden has made throughout the seven-month war in Gaza and has raised tensions to new heights with Israel, a key U.S. ally.
Biden is facing pressure from protests at home, notably at college campuses, as the war has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to go into Rafah, saying it is vital to destroy the remaining battalions of Hamas.
In a video address on Thursday, Netanyahu appeared to dismiss Biden’s threats.
“If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone,” he said.
The U.S. has been worried about Rafah for months and has tried to urge Israel to consider other options than a large-scale maneuver.
Israeli forces have already seized a border crossing connected to Egypt that is vital for humanitarian aid as troops conduct limited operations in Rafah.
But if the operation picks up in a “big way,” said Kirby, the U.S. may be forced to pause other shipments.
“We hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said. “We hope that Israel won’t do that.”
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
