OAN’s James Meyers
3:02 PM -Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going against President Joe Biden’s wishes and is carrying out a planned assault of Rafah, the last refuge in Gaza for more than a million displaced people, where the Jewish State believes Hamas terrorists are being holed up.
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Netanyahu told law officials on Tuesday he made it “supremely clear” to Biden “that we are determined to complete the elimination of these battalions in Rafah, and there’s no way to do that except by going in on the ground.”
The announcement comes after the two leaders spoke by phone on Monday. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration believed carrying out the mission in Rafah would be a “mistake” and that Israel could achieve its military aims by other means.
Meanwhile, the White House has recently been pushing for a ceasefire in hopes of sending aid to stave off famine.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he will be making a trip to the Middle East, where he would meet senior leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia to “discuss the right architecture for a lasting peace.”
Additionally, ceasefire talks are resuming this week in Qatar after Israel rejected a Hamas counter-proposal last week. An Israeli delegation, headed by the country’s spy chief, traveled to Qatar on Monday. An Israeli official said it would take at least two weeks to come to an agreement.
A Palestinian official reportedly told Reuters that the new round of talks in Qatar was expected to be “very tough,” while accusing Israel of stalling on purpose.
Last week, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, called for Israelis to replace Netanyahu, claiming he is ruining Israel’s international standing.
The Jewish State has repeatedly claimed that they will not stop until Hamas is completely wiped out.
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