US, Israel to hold virtual meeting at Rafah, NSA Sullivan on Thursday to lead talks
Senior US and Israeli officials will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss Israeli plans for the southern Gaza city of Rafah as Washington seeks alternatives to an Israeli offensive, US and Israeli officials said.
The meeting is a follow-up to a similar meeting on April 1.
President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to launch a major offensive in Rafah to avoid more Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza, where Palestinian health authorities say more than 33,000 people were killed in the Israeli attack.
The meeting comes as Israel considers launching an attack on Iranian targets in response to Iran’s launch of a barrage of drones and ballistic missiles against Israel last weekend.
Washington is trying to deter the Israelis from carrying out retaliatory strikes to avoid further inflaming an already tense situation, a second US official said.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan would lead the talks from the US, with the participation of Biden’s Middle East envoy Brett McGurk, among others.
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi are again expected to lead the Israeli delegation in the virtual talks, an Israeli official said. The official said topics would include “the operational and humanitarian planning for Rafah.”
Plans for face-to-face talks on Rafah have been postponed in the wake of Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel, the official said.
In Ramallah, the Palestinian government called on the Biden administration to “immediately intervene to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against our Palestinian people.”
First print: April 18, 2024 | 10:52 PM IST