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US Officials Warn Against Invasion of Rafah, Israel Presses Ahead
Top American officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, have issued warnings against an Israeli invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza. They predict that such an invasion would lead to widespread civilian casualties, spark a Hamas insurgency, and create a power vacuum. Despite these warnings, Israel appears poised to continue advancing on the city and has issued evacuation orders for civilians. President Joe Biden has also delivered an ultimatum, stating that certain weapons transfers will be paused if Israel invades Rafah. The US believes that Israel has killed more civilians than Hamas terrorists in its war in Gaza and needs to do more to mitigate civilian deaths. Despite the tensions, the US downplayed a growing rift between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that the number of people killed in the enclave as a result of Israeli military operations has risen above 35,000.
