Israeli troops battle Hamas in Rafah outskirts as US officials downplay WH concerns
Israeli troops continued to battle Hamas terrorists on the outskirts of Rafah on Wednesday — as US officials said in a new report that the White House does not believe the Jewish state has crossed a “red line” in the operation despite speculation about the delay of an American arms shipment.
After Israeli tanks rolled across the Rafah border crossing Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces has engaged with Hamas terrorists in a limited manner as thousands of Palestinians attempt to flee the city, which had become the most populous city in Gaza following months of battle in the north.
The IDF said at least 30 Hamas gunmen have been killed in the fighting as troops in the 162nd Division investigate buildings and facilities near Rafah Crossing.
Prior to the incursion, the IDF said it launched a series of airstrikes in the area that took out about 100 targets and allowed troops to secure the border site.
Hamas has retaliated by repeatedly firing missiles at the Gazan border, with an Israeli soldier injured by one attack targeting the Kerem Shalom area on Wednesday, according to the IDF.
The Jewish state has threatened to escalate the battle in Rafah to bring enough military pressure against Hamas to secure the safety of the more than 130 hostages remaining in Gaza.
The IDF is also looking to take out four Hamas battalions believed to be stationed in the city and harboring thousands of terrorists.
Rafah mayor Ahmed Al-Sofi warned that the battles are threatening even more civilian casualties in a city that had been sheltering more than a million refugees.
“The streets of the city echo with the cries of innocent lives lost, families torn apart, and homes reduced to rubble,” Al-Sofi said in a statement. “We stand on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe of unprecedented proportions.”
The war, now in its eighth month, has left nearly 35,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, which does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists.
The Biden administration, however, believes that the Rafah incursion, as it stands, does not cross a “red line” that could shift America’s policy on aiding Israel, two US officials told Axios.
A senior Israeli official added that President Biden “didn’t pull the handbrake on the capture of the Rafah crossing” during his call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
The Biden administration, which has repeatedly said the US would not support a full-scale invasion of Rafah without a proper plan to secure civilian lives, has remained on a tightrope over the IDF’s actions, downplaying the advance while also cautioning Israel not to rush further.
Following the “limited” operation in Rafah, the White House allegedly stalled shipments of thousands of precision bombs bound for Israel, according to multiple media outlets.
It was the first such delay of its kind since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, with US officials telling Axios that the US might place conditions on which of its shipments can be used pending a major operation in Rafah.
The White House has repeatedly skirted questions over the delay, saying only that the US remains committed to assisting Israel.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the delay during a Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday, saying it was necessary given the current situation in Gaza.
“We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” Austin told American lawmakers. “But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah.”
The IDF also played down the reports. When asked about the delay by local media Wednesday, chief military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, “We are responsible for the security interests of Israel and we pay attention to the US interests in the arena.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has since slammed the Biden administration over the delay, warning that it could be detrimental to Israel’s defense.
“If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price,” he told Austin.
“This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they can’t afford to lose.”
The tense situation comes as delegations from Hamas, Israel, the US, Egypt and Qatar met in Cairo to try to push through a cease-fire agreement after the terror group presented its own surprise proposal earlier this week, triggering outrage from the Jewish state.
With Post wires
