US Proposes Tactic of Smuggling Control to Tackle Hamas, Averting Rafah Ground Op that Netanyahu Calls Essential to Winning War
In a high-stakes diplomatic confrontation, US President Joe Biden has positioned himself directly against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s adamant stance on Israel’s intention to launch a significant military incursion into Rafah, Gaza. This development surfaces as senior US officials disclose plans to pitch alternative strategies to Israel, aiming to curtail Hamas’s power without the decisive measures Netanyahu insists Israel must execute.
During a pivotal meeting slated with an Israeli delegation coming to Washington, the Biden administration intends to unveil these alternatives. Emphasizing a collaborative tone, one senior US official highlighted the aim of proposing viable alternatives that align with Israel’s objectives, steering clear of a direct confrontation while mitigating the potential for massive civilian casualties in densely populated Rafah. However, Israel is said to be bringing no plans of its own to the meeting, simply listening to the US ideas.
Jake Sullivan, US National Security Adviser, recently underscored the constructive dialogue between the two nations, noting Netanyahu’s agreement to consider US perspectives on Rafah’s operational planning. This move comes amidst heightened concerns over the humanitarian implications and strategic fallout of a ground invasion.
Elaborating on the proposed alternative approach of the Biden administration, a senior US official said Washington envisions Israel focus on preventing the smuggling of weapons from Egypt into Gaza through the Philadelphi Corridor rather than destroying the remaining Hamas battallions.
The official avoided blaming the Egyptian government for the smuggling that enabled Hamas re-armament amid successive rounds of conflict with Israel since 2006. He said that reaching a deal with Egypt was more important than defeating Hamas. “If Israel smashes into Rafah with all the civilian casualties that doing so would entail, cooperation from Egypt on locking down the [Philadelphi] Corridor will be much more difficult,” the second senior official said.
Central to the US proposition is the focus on stifling weapon smuggling from Egypt to Gaza via the Philadelphi Corridor, thus targeting Hamas’s re-armament channels. This approach, officials argue, could undermine Hamas more effectively than a ground offensive, potentially preserving crucial Egyptian cooperation.
The US’s stance is not an outright dismissal of Israeli military actions against Hamas but a call for more targeted operations. Amidst these discussions, the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by a looming famine, demands immediate attention, with calls for Israel to facilitate aid delivery to the most afflicted areas.
“We don’t want Hamas to have a safe haven there, but the current situation is not feasible,” another US official said. The officials credited Israel for taking steps over the past couple of weeks to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, but one of them said that the situation could deteriorate again if Jerusalem does not begin implementing a “non-scorched earth strategy for pursuing Hamas.”
Earlier Tuesday, Netanyahu’s office announced that the premier has tapped two of his most trusted aides, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, to lead the Israeli delegation to Washington. A representative from COGAT, the IDF unit responsible for coordinating aid in the Gaza Strip, will also be making the trip. “The prime minister stressed that he is determined to operate in Rafah in order to eliminate for good the remaining Hamas battalions while offering humanitarian solutions to the civilian population,” the statement said.
Netanyahu, unwavering in his resolve, has communicated his intentions to proceed with Rafah operations to dismantle Hamas’s stronghold. With high-level meetings on the horizon, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s visit to the US Department of Defense, the debate over Rafah may be a critical showdown between sharply opposed perspectives on war conduct and on the question of whether Israeli was subject its sovereign decisions to a US veto.
In this diplomatic game of Chicken, the stakes are likely to be much higher than ruffled feathers.
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