From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 18, 2024
US agreed to Israel’s plan for Rafah in return for not carrying out large Iran strike – report; US denies it
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Egyptian officials tell a Qatari outlet that the US has accepted Israel’s plan for an operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, in return for not carrying out a large strike in Iran in response to Tehran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack.
A US National Security Council spokesperson says the story isn’t true and such a plan has never been discussed.
“The American administration showed acceptance of the plan previously presented by the occupation government regarding the military operation in Rafah, in exchange for not carrying out a large-scale attack against Iran,” an unnamed official tells Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
The Egyptian officials tells the outlet that preparations are underway so that Egypt can deal with any possible impact of the planned operation.
Four Hamas battalions are believed to be stationed in Rafah along with over a million civilians sheltering there after fleeing fighting in other parts of the Strip. Rafah is also thought to be where Hamas leaders are hidden, possibly along with Israeli hostages.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has several times claimed to have approved plans for a Rafah operation and more recently said that a date has been decided for the launch.
The Times of Israel Community.