The two leaders also discussed efforts to combat anti-Semitism and commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day. According to Israeli officials, the two leaders spoke for about 30 minutes.
Hamas is considering Israel’s latest counter-offer on ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, Agence France-Presse reports (Photo: Bloomberg) Bloomberg
Written by Jordan Fabian
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Monday as the Israeli military urged civilians to leave the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.
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Biden reiterated the United States’ opposition to a major ground offensive in the city and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow humanitarian aid to be transported through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to ensure this corridor remains open for humanitarian aid and received updates on the hostage deal and ongoing negotiations toward a ceasefire, the White House said.
Their discussion came hours after the Israeli military ordered Palestinians to leave parts of the city where more than 1 million people have fled. The Israel Defense Forces carried out airstrikes early Monday morning, but the warning has fueled speculation that Israel is preparing for a long-anticipated ground operation.
The two leaders also discussed efforts to combat anti-Semitism and commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day. According to Israeli officials, the two leaders spoke for about 30 minutes.
Biden is also scheduled to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Monday to discuss the conflict. Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, appear to have stalled over the weekend, mediated by Egypt and Qatar.
Negotiations have stalled after the Iranian-backed militant group insisted on a permanent ceasefire, but the terms are subject to concessions by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has declared that Israel intends to completely eradicate Hamas from Gaza. He was reluctant. Hamas killed four Israeli soldiers in a barrage of rockets at the Kerem Shalom border crossing on Sunday, in one of the deadliest missile attacks in recent weeks.
Large numbers of people have begun to leave Rafah following Israeli warnings, but it is unclear how long it will be before most civilians leave. Israeli officials have privately said this could take several weeks, but the United States has expressed doubts that it can be done safely.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said for months that civilians in Rafah would be evacuated before the attack. The city is home to about 1.4 million people, most of whom fled to the city after the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas war in October.
The Israel Defense Forces “will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in populated areas,” a spokesperson told X on Monday morning. He urged residents of eastern Rafah to move north to the “expanded humanitarian zone” near another Gaza city, Khan Yunis.
Most Arab countries and many European countries say Israel should not attack the city, fearing heavy civilian casualties and worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
