Washington: Israeli military operation in Rafah remains targeted

According to the United States, Israeli military operations in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip have not yet reached a scale that would alarm the US government.

"What we have seen so far in terms of Israel's military operations in that area has been more targeted and limited [and] has not involved major military operations into the heart of dense urban areas," US President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in Washington on Wednesday.

He had been asked whether Israel had responded to the US government's concerns and whether it supported what the Israeli military was doing in Rafah.

Sullivan did not answer the question directly, but referred to his visit to Israel at the weekend, where he continued the detailed discussion about Rafah, which has been going on for weeks now.

He had reaffirmed the US position to the Israeli leadership and had been informed by them "about how they are refining their approach."

"We now have to see what unfolds from here," emphasized Sullivan. We will keep a close eye on what the Israeli military is doing and continue to be briefed on how it is adapting its approach.

The US rejects a major Israeli ground offensive in Rafah.

Israel's army began a ground operation in the east of the city a fortnight ago. According to the Times of Israel, the Israeli military estimates that around 950,000 Palestinians have left the area since then, but some 300,000 to 400,000 civilians are still believed to be living in the city.

Before the Israeli army began its incursion, more than 1 million internally displaced Palestinians from other parts of the Gaza Strip had sought refuge in Rafah.