Destroying any illusions that the Biden administration may have had about dividing and conquering the Israeli government about its will to destroy Hamas, Benny Gantz — the leader of the National Unity Party who joined with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a coalition government in the wake of the October 7 Hamas massacre — reportedly told Biden administration officials that Israel will not stop its efforts to finish Hamas and will go into Rafah, the last remaining Hamas stronghold.
The Biden administration has been frantically trying to impede Israel’s efforts to enter Rafah; President Biden has reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to proceed with Israel’s attack on Rafah; in early February National Security Council spokesman John Kirby threatened, “Military operations right now would be a disaster for those people, and it’s not something that we would support.”
The Wall Street Journal editorial board noted in mid-February, “Taking Rafah Is Essential to Defeat Hamas. It’s the terror group’s last stronghold. Why is Biden opposed to Israel capturing the city? Ever notice how it is always deemed a humanitarian imperative to let Hamas survive? The diplomatic pressure on Israel to stay out of Rafah, Hamas’s final stronghold, has become enormous.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted in mid-February, “Those who say that under no circumstances should we enter Rafah are basically saying lose the war, keep Hamas there.”
Despite the effort to prevent Israel from entering Rafah, Gantz reportedly told U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that “ending the war without clearing out Rafah is like sending a firefighter to extinguish 80% of the fire,” according to Israel Hayom.
“Biden administration officials expressed great doubt as to whether Israel is capable of evacuating the 1.2 million Gazans currently in and around Rafah before the military operation begins,” Israel National News reported. “Gantz rejected these statements, emphasizing that ending the war in Gaza without a military operation in Rafah is something which is unacceptable to Israel. Regarding the humanitarian aid, Gantz explained that the issue is not one of bringing aid into Gaza but rather of distributing it to the civilians, since Hamas takes over the distribution as part of the preservation of its civil rule of Gaza.”
Gantz also reportedly dismissed putting the Palestinian Authority back in charge in Gaza, instead suggesting a “Gaza Civil Administration.”
