The USA and Israel are expected to hold a virtual meeting on Monday, April 1, to discuss the Biden administration's alternative proposals to an Israeli military invasion of Rafah, according to Axios.
The meeting, which was supposed to take place last week, has become a contentious issue between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Biden.
After the USA didn't veto a resolution from the United Nations Security Council last week, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages, Netanyahu announced he was canceling the meeting in protest.
A day later, he sent quiet messages to the White House asking to reschedule. After the White House made Netanyahu's request public, he denied such a delegation would be going to the White House.
The Biden administration stated that an operation in Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians are sheltering, could lead to mass casualties and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Offensive on Rafah
The Israeli army is planning to launch a ground invasion into the city of Rafah near the border with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip. This is the last populated area under the control of the Palestinian Hamas movement.
During a recent conversation with Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown stated that the United States will not tolerate mass civilian casualties in Rafah, considering the number of civilian casualties in the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip.
Brown summarized Washington's proposal, which includes protecting the Gaza-Egypt border using technological advancements to prevent weapon smuggling through the Philadelphi Corridor, isolating the city of Rafah, conducting targeted raids, and establishing a joint command center to coordinate targeted operations.