White House: Israel has agreed to listen to US concerns before any Rafah move

Israel has agreed to listen to US concerns and thoughts before it launches an invasion of the border city of Rafah in Gaza, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday.

Israel's military is poised to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and assault Hamas hold-outs there, a senior Israeli defense official said on Wednesday, despite international warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Washington has said it could not support a Rafah operation without an appropriate and credible humanitarian plan.

"They've assured us that they won't go into Rafah until we've had a chance to really share our perspectives and our concerns with them," Kirby told ABC.

What we're hoping is that after six weeks of a temporary ceasefire, we can maybe get something more enduring in place," said Kirby, who also noted that the number of aid trucks into the north of Gaza was starting to increase.

"The Israelis have started to meet the commitments that President Biden asked them to meet," he said.



Reuters