Secretary of State Blinken headed back to Middle East, warns against Rafah incursion

April 28 (UPI) -- U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed his "ironclad support" for Israel's security in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday, according to a statement from the White House.

Biden made his comments in light of a largely failed Iranian strike on Israel that featured up to three hundred drones and missiles earlier this month. Nearly all of them were intercepted which Biden had told Netanyahu that Israel should consider a success.

"They also reviewed ongoing talks to secure the release of hostages together with an immediate ceasefire in Gaza," a statement from the White House said. "The President referred to his statement with 17 other world leaders demanding that Hamas release their citizens without delay to secure a ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza."

Biden and Netanyahu also discussed bolstering humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, transporting it through new crossings in the northern part of the country, through the construction of a pier, according to the White House.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will push for a cease-fire during a trip to the war-torn region this week. Israel has continued to threaten that its next incursion to take control of Gaza will happen in the city of Rafah.

"We want it to last for about six weeks," White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Sunday on ABC This Week. "It will allow for all those hostages [held by Hamas] to get out and, of course, to allow for easier aid access to places in Gaza, particularly up in the north. So, he's going to be working on that very, very hard," Kirby said of Blinken.

Kirby said Blinken will also be trying to get a better feel for exactly what Netanyahu is planning for in Rafah. Netanyahu has said occupying and controlling that city is key to making inroads against Hamas, which prompted the latest spasm of violence in this historical war when its militants made a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people at an outdoor music festival.

Upwards of 34,000 Gazans have died in reprisal attacks, according to Gazan health officials, though the exact numbers have been hard to pin down.

Netanyahu maintains taking control of Rafah and destroying the remaining Gazan resistance battalions is paramount to taking control of the region and defeating Hamas, which he has vowed since Oct. 7 to do. Gazans counter that such a move would be catastrophic on a humanitarian level.

Kirby said Sunday that the U.S. does not have a firm grasp on what Israel plans in Rafah and when they may plan to launch attacks.

"We have to have a better understanding from the Israelis about what they want to do," Kirby said, adding, "They've assured us they won't go into Rafah until we've had a chance to really share our perspectives and concerns with them. So we'll see where that goes."

Blinken said recently called an Israeli incursion into Gaza is a "mistake" and said it is "something we can't support."

During the Biden-Netyanhu conversation Sunday, "the leaders discussed Rafah and the President reiterated his clear position," the White House statement said.