The United States has agreed to an Israeli military offensive against Hamas’s last stronghold in Rafah on the condition it does not carry out a full-scale strike on Iranian soil, reports Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
“The American administration showed acceptance of the plan previously presented by Israel regarding the military operation in Rafah in exchange for not carrying out a large-scale attack against Iran,” an unnamed Egyptian official told the London-based Qatari news outlet.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that sending troops into Rafah is crucial for achieving the war’s objectives of ousting Hamas from power in the Gaza Strip and securing the release of some 130 hostages still being held in the enclave.
The report cites a Western official who stated that through “political maneuvering,” Netanyahu was able to “obtain American approval for the military operation in Rafah” by committing to avoid a major counter-attack against Iran.
For the past few months, the White House has demanded that Israel develop an evacuation plan for Rafah’s 1.2 million Arab civilians before any ground incursion. According to the report, Egyptian authorities are bracing for a potential influx of civilians fleeing the fighting in Rafah, who may seek refuge in the Sinai Desert. However, Egypt has often denied entry to Arab refugees in previous wars in Gaza, arguing that it would create a “security risk” for the country.
