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Israel has briefed US on plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of potential Rafah operation

Israel this week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at rooting out Hamas militants, according to U.S. officials familiar with the talks.

Quick Read

  • Israel Briefs US on Rafah Evacuation Plan: Israel has informed the Biden administration about its strategy to evacuate Palestinian civilians before a possible military strike on Rafah, Gaza, targeting Hamas militants.
  • US Concerns Remain: Despite the briefing, US officials maintain concerns that the operation could endanger many civilians and worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
  • Warnings of Consequences: The US has hinted at potential consequences for Israel if it proceeds without ensuring civilian safety.
  • Dense Civilian Population at Risk: Rafah, hosting around 1.5 million displaced Palestinians, is deemed critical for humanitarian aid access, intensifying risks associated with military action.
  • Plan Still Under Discussion: The evacuation strategy presented by Israel is reportedly incomplete, with ongoing discussions between the two nations.
  • Continuous Diplomatic Efforts: Conversations about the operation are part of broader discussions, including efforts by US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators to negotiate a cease-fire and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.
  • CIA Director’s Involvement: CIA Director William Burns is in Egypt to support negotiations aimed at preventing the Rafah operation through a diplomatic agreement.

The Associated Press has the story:

Israel has briefed US on plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of potential Rafah operation

Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —

Israel this week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at rooting out Hamas militants, according to U.S. officials familiar with the talks.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity to speak about the sensitive exchange, said that the plan detailed by the Israelis did not change the U.S. administration’s view that moving forward with an operation in Rafah would put too many innocent Palestinian civilians at risk.

FILE – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel on Oct. 28, 2023. Netanyahu pledged Tuesday, April 30 to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering from the almost 7-month-long war, just as cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas appear to be gaining steam. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to carry out a military operation in Rafah despite warnings from President Joe Biden and other western officials that doing so would result in more civilian deaths and worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis.

The Biden administration has said that there could be consequences for Israel should it move forward with the operation without a credible plan to safeguard civilians.

Some 1.5 million Palestinians have sheltered in the southern Gaza city as the territory has been ravaged by the war that began on Oct. 7 after Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.

Mourners pray over the bodies of members of the Abu Taha family who were killed in an Israeli airstrike, during their funeral at Al-Salam cemetery, east of Rafah, Gaza Strip. Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)

The United Nations humanitarian aid agency on Friday said that hundreds of thousands of people would be “at imminent risk of death” if Israel moves forward with the Rafah assault. The border city is a critical entry point for humanitarian aid and is filled with displaced Palestinians, many in densely packed tent camps.

The officials added that the evacuation plan that the Israelis briefed was not finalized and both sides agreed to keep discussing the matter.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, July 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday that no “comprehensive” plan for a potential Rafah operation has been revealed by the Israelis to the White House. The operation, however, has been discussed during recent calls between Biden and Netanyahu as well as during recent virtual talks with top Israeli and U.S. national security officials.

“We want to make sure that those conversations continue because it is important to protect those Palestinian lives — those innocent lives,” Jean-Pierre said.

The revelation of Israel’s continued push to carry out a Rafah operation came as CIA director William Burns arrived Friday in Egypt, where negotiators are trying to seal a cease-fire accord between Israel and Hamas.

FILE – Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 8, 2023. President Joe Biden has elevated Burns to his Cabinet. It’s a symbolic move that underscores the intelligence chief’s influence and his work in U.S. support for Ukraine. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

Hamas is considering the latest proposal for a cease-fire and hostage release put forward by U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators, who are looking to avert the Rafah operation.

They have publicly pressed Hamas to accept the terms of the deal that would lead to an extended cease-fire and an exchange of Israeli hostages taken captive on Oct. 7 and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Hamas has said it will send a delegation to Cairo in the coming days for further discussions on the offer, though it has not specified when.

Mourners carry the bodies of members of the Abu Taha family who were killed in an Israeli airstrike, during their funeral at Al-Salam cemetery, east of Rafah, Gaza Strip. Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)

Israel, and its allies, have sought to increase pressure on Hamas on the hostage negotiation. Signaling that Israel continues to move forward with its planning for a Rafah operation could be a tactic to nudge the militants to finalize the deal.

Netanyahu said earlier this week that Israeli forces would enter Rafah, which Israel says is Hamas’ last stronghold, regardless of whether a truce-for-hostages deal is struck. His comments appeared to be meant to appease his nationalist governing partners, and it was not clear whether they would have any bearing on any emerging deal with Hamas.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog shake hands during their meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region, including Israel, this week and called the latest proposal “extraordinarily generous” and said “the time to act is now.”

Read more U.S. news

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UN official warns that famine in northern Gaza is already ‘full-blown’
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CIA Burns, Hamas in Cairo as Egyptian media report progress in cease-fire talks

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