Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israel would “fight like hell” to achieve war goals despite growing American pressure.
Israeli officials struck a defiant tone after US President Joe Biden warned that the US would not provide weapons for a large-scale ground attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are trapped. without a safe way. leave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in televised remarks Thursday that Israel, which relies heavily on American arms shipments, would “fight with its nails” if necessary.
“Hamas [hearts] Biden,” Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right security minister, wrote in a social media post.
Hamas ❤️Biden
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) May 9, 2024
The United States has consistently provided Israel with military support throughout the campaign in the Gaza Strip, defying mounting domestic and international pressure and brushing aside concerns about alleged violations of international law by Israeli forces.
Biden, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, said the United States was still committed to the defense of Israel and would provide Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive weapons but, if Israeli forces invade Rafah, “we are not going to supply the weapons and artillery. shells used.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States would suspend shipments of heavy bombs.
The remarks appeared to suggest a widening gap between the Biden administration and Netanyahu's government.
“I turn to Israel's enemies, as well as our best friends, and tell them: the State of Israel cannot be subdued,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement Thursday.
“We will stand firm, we will achieve our objectives: we will attack Hamas, we will attack Hezbollah and we will achieve security.”
Talks continue in Cairo
Talks in Cairo aimed at securing a six-week ceasefire to allow the release of some captives and increased aid to civilians in Gaza continue, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.
CIA Director Bill Burns and other delegations participating in the talks left Egypt on Thursday without reaching an agreement.
Israel has insisted that the war will continue until it achieves its goal of destroying Hamas in Gaza. Israeli forces this week took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and have investigated the outskirts of the nearby city of Rafah, where they have also carried out airstrikes.
Netanyahu has so far not ordered troops into the city, where Israel says four battalions of Hamas fighters are based.
The Biden administration has consistently said that an Israeli raid on Rafah should not move forward until there is a plan to protect civilians sheltering there. Humanitarian groups have said an attack would result in catastrophe for civilians and that there is no safe option.
“That's a choice Israel will have to make, and we hope they don't make it,” Kirby said of the Rafah offensive, noting that the Biden administration believes there are better ways to advance Israel's goal of dismantling Hamas.
