20 March 2024; MEMO: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday accused Israeli officials of cooperating with the US to prevent a ground attack in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, Anadolu reported.
“Some in Israel are cooperating with the Americans to prevent entry into Rafah,” Netanyahu told a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. He did not name the officials involved.
The accusation came a day after the Israeli premier spoke with US President Joe Biden on the phone for the first time in a month.
Israel announced plans to conduct what it called a “major activity” in Rafah, where more than 1.4 million people have taken refuge from Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, following the evacuation of Palestinians to the western area of the city.
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Netanyahu approved plans for the military operation on 15 March despite international opposition to the assault.
The Israeli prime minister opposes US efforts to allow the Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern the Gaza Strip following the end of the ongoing Israeli war on the blockaded territory.
Washington, for its part, argues that there must be a Palestinian government in Gaza in the post-war period.
