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White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan assured on Sunday that President Biden’s threat to withhold offensive weapons from Israel does not mean the U.S. intends to “abandon” the country. Sullivan warned of “significant” civilian casualties in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, stating that Biden doesn’t want to see American weapons used in that kind of operation. The White House has been cautioning Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a full-scale incursion while the city is being used as a refuge by more than a million civilians. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also stated that the U.S. has not seen “credible plans” from Israel on preventing civilian deaths in Rafah. Biden has become increasingly critical of Israel’s wartime campaign and has upped pressure on Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to take more caution in preventing civilian deaths.
