US, Israel holding virtual meeting on Rafah offensive plans

The United States and Israel were due to hold a virtual meeting Monday on the planned offensive in Gaza’s Rafah, officials said, a week after Israel called off its delegation’s visit to Washington.

Tensions have risen between Israel and its chief backer the United States over the heavy civilian death toll in Gaza, and especially over Israeli plans to send ground forces into Gaza’s crowded far-southern city of Rafah.

Israel had agreed to send a delegation to Washington for discussions on the plans, but canceled the trip after the United States last week declined to veto a UN Security Council ceasefire call, abstaining instead.

“The meeting is scheduled for today. It will be online. There may be a meeting in person later this week,” said an Israeli source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A US official confirmed the virtual meeting, adding that “we anticipate follow-up meetings in person following additional work by expert teams.”

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists that the goal of the meeting is the same as that of the canceled delegation visit.

The aim is to “understand what their plans are for any type of operation within Rafah, to understand how they’re going to move or conduct operations with a very concentrated population that’s there, over a million people,” Singh told journalists.

She did not confirm Defense Department participation in the talks, but a US official said Secretary of State Antony Blinken would take part.