After a long break: Biden speaks with Netanyahu

Exchanging talks about the situation in Rafah and humanitarian aid.

The president is ours Joe Biden I spoke with the Israeli Prime Minister for the first time after a long break in talks Benjamin Netanyahu make a phone call. The White House said that the call on Monday discussed the situation in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip and humanitarian aid to its residents. The last time Biden and Netanyahu spoke on the phone was in mid-February.

The US government intends to meet in person with a high-level delegation from Israel in the coming days to discuss concerns about the planned ground attack in the city. Rafah It takes place in the Gaza Strip. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Biden asked Netanyahu to send a team of military, intelligence and humanitarian assistance specialists to Washington in the next few days. The aim is to explain the US government's reservations in detail and discuss possible alternatives. Netanyahu agreed to send such a team.

“We assume that they will not move forward with the major military operation in Rafah until we have this conversation,” Sullivan said, referring to the Israelis. The meeting is scheduled to be held at the end of this week or the beginning of next week. There is no specific date yet. More than a million people have taken refuge in Rafah, and Israel has not presented the United States or the world with a plan to bring these people to safety and care.

Given the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the numerous civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, Washington's tone toward the Israeli leadership has increased significantly in recent weeks. After the October 7 massacre carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations in Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip, the two politicians spoke to each other almost daily for a while.