US President Joe Biden “reiterated his clear position” to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday after Israel defied US warnings and told Palestinians to evacuate part of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the White House said.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu “agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need,” as stated in a readout of their call, after Israel closed the key Gaza border crossing following a Hamas rocket attack.
US President Joe Biden held urgent talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “reiterated his clear position”after Israel defied repeated US warnings and told Palestinians to evacuate part of the southern Gaza city of Rafah ahead of an offensive.
The call came as Biden mounts a diplomatic offensive to get ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas back on track, with Jordan’s King Abdullah II due at the White House for lunch on Monday.
Biden told Netanyahu in April that invading Rafah would be a “mistake,” and Washington said that it does not support an offensive without a credible plan to aid some 1.2 million civilians sheltering there.
With AFP
