According to Axios, Gallant communicates regularly with US Secretary of State Tony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and with US President Joe Biden’s chief advisor for Middle East affairs, Brett McGurk.
Most of the communication between the Biden team and the Israeli government regarding Rafah during the past two weeks has taken place through other Israeli channels, such as Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
The site explains that Gallant’s efforts appear to have borne fruit, as American officials confirmed that the Israeli army is operating in Rafah in a specific manner without a large-scale ground invasion.
Tensions escalate between Israel and the United States
After US President Joe Biden warned Israel that any major attack on Rafah would cross the “red line” regarding American support, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made strong statements during a meeting with his security cabinet.
Netanyahu said, according to three informed sources, including one of his aides, “We are not a state affiliated with the United States.”
Axios considered that Netanyahu’s strong reaction reflects his combative mood at a time when the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza has led to tense relations between Tel Aviv and Washington.
Two weeks ago, tension began to escalate between the two countries, after Biden stopped 3,500 American bombs that were on board a ship about to depart for Israel.
Two Israeli sources said that Netanyahu and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, were surprised by Biden’s decision regarding the arms shipment.
A senior American official said that Biden and other senior American officials secretly informed Netanyahu and Dermer several times recently that such a step could happen if they continued to push for the invasion of Rafah.
But an Israeli source said that Dermer, who was Israel’s ambassador to Washington for 8 years, told Netanyahu that Biden would not dare take such a step.
During his long speech at the Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu compared his conflict with Biden over Rafah to Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, who declared independence in 1948 despite the objections of the United States at the time. Two sources familiar with the meeting said.
More American pressure
Biden said on Wednesday that he was prepared to withhold additional weapons, including artillery shells, from Israel if Israeli forces launched a major ground operation in Rafah.
He added in an interview with CNN: “If they go to Rafah, I will not provide them with the weapons that were historically used to deal with cities,” stressing that the United States will continue to provide defensive systems capable of repelling missile attacks.
The US President added: “I made it clear to Bibi (Benjamin Netanyahu) and the war government that they will not get our support if they attack these population centers. We are not moving away from Israel’s security. We are moving away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas.”
The US administration began a review of the arms shipments it provides to Israel after months of calls to restrict the process of sending weapons to Israel, with the aim of forcing the Netanyahu government to rethink its behavior in the war.
On the other hand, senior Israeli officials said that although the bomb shipment is still pending, other American weapons shipments are continuing, as a large American shipment is expected to leave for Israel this week.
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