US, Israel plan virtual meeting on Rafah attack

According to a media report, representatives of Israel and the United States are set to discuss Israel's planned ground offensive against the town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip this Monday. News portal “Axios” reported Monday night, citing four Israeli and US officials, that the meeting will be held as a video conference via a secure link. The White House and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office have yet to comment on a possible meeting.

Israeli representatives were actually scheduled to travel to Washington last week to hear US concerns about the planned ground attack and to present alternatives. But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu canceled the trip after the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire without US opposition. US broadcaster CNN reported on Friday that the Israelis then suggested postponing the talks until Monday. Planning was complicated by Israel's domestic political affairs.

The meeting now could help Netanyahu “save face,” Axios reported, citing senior Israeli officials. It would allow discussions with the White House to continue without sending a delegation to Washington. There is tension in the relationship between US President Joe Biden and Israeli President Netanyahu. With hundreds of thousands of civilians there, Washington considers a large-scale ground offensive in Rafah a mistake and wants to show Israel alternatives.