Israel has not informed the U.S. regarding the date for the start of its invasion of Rafah, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday, adding that officials from both countries are in touch regarding the matter.
Blinken spoke a day after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed that a date has been set to invade Rafah. The city is filled with around 1.4 million Palestinians, most of whom are displaced from other parts of the Gaza Strip. The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has said a ground operation into Rafah would be a mistake and has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians.
Israel’s incessant attacks on Gaza, including on refugee shelters, hospitals, houses of worship, schools and civilian infrastructure, have pushed the blockaded enclave into a humanitarian crisis, leaving more than 1 million people on the brink of starvation.
International efforts to broker a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are taking place in Cairo this week. Egyptian officials said Tuesday that mediators have presented a new cease-fire proposal to Hamas and Israel that would include a six-week pause in fighting and a swap of 40 Hamas-held hostages for at least 700 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israel says more than 130 hostages remain in Gaza, with about a quarter of those believed dead.
The Palestinian death toll from the war has passed 33,200, with nearly 76,000 wounded, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.
