Report: Israel moves to more limited Rafah assault plan, US will not object

Washington Post analyst David Ignatius reports that Israel has decided to shelve plans for a major offensive in the Gaza Strip’s southern city of Rafah, and will act in a more limited manner, after discussions with the US on the matter.

Ignatius says, based on conversations with unidentified officials with knowledge of the matter, that a previous plan to send two divisions into the city will not move forward, and operations will be more restrained.

Washington believes the new plans will result in less civilian casualties and thus is not expected to oppose them, he writes.

Ignatius says defense leaders want a moderate Palestinian security force to govern Gaza after Hamas, backed by Arab states. There is disagreement over whether that force would be tied to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu objecting, he says.

He also says Saudi Arabia has softened its demands for normalization with Israel but that it still demands a “credible pathway” to a Palestinian state.