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Biden Pushes for a Cease-Fire in Gaza. Israel Pushes Forward Military Operation in Rafah.

The Biden administration says it does not support a full-scale invasion of Rafah. What’s less clear is what it will do if Israel goes ahead with one anyway.

Palestinians flee to the southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinians in the north of Gaza were told to flee to southern cities on the strip in October. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa) Hatem Moussa/AP

The Biden administration says it has clearly communicated that it will not support a full-scale Israeli military operation in the Gazan city of Rafah. Now, with temporary cease-fire negotiations in the balance, Israel Defense Forces are pushing right up against President Joe Biden’s line.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a press briefing Monday that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, knows exactly what the United States would find unacceptable.

“We don’t want to see operations in and around Rafah that make it harder for the people seeking refuge there and shelter to be safe and secure,” Kirby said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s missiles or rockets, things that kill innocent people aren’t OK.”