In 1st comment, State Department says US has made clear to Israel its views on major Rafah op

The United States has made its views clear to Israel on a major ground offensive in Rafah, a State Department spokesperson says, in Washington’s first response since Israeli forces seized control of the Egypt-Gaza border crossing.

The ongoing IDF operation into Rafah is a “limited operation,” an Israeli official has told The Times of Israel. “It is being implemented to pressure Hamas” to accept a deal.

“We continue to believe that a hostage deal is in the best interest of the Israeli and the Palestinian people; it would bring an immediate ceasefire and allow increased humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” the spokesperson says in an email.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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