Sixth time not the charm for Blinken as Israel vows to invade Rafah ‘alone’

In his sixth visit to Israel since the start of the Gaza genocide, US State Secretary Anthony Blinken on 22 March again failed to convince Israeli leaders to reconsider their actions in the besieged enclave, in particular the long-anticipated ground invasion of Rafah.

(Article republished from TheCradle.co)

“I told [Blinken] that I deeply appreciate the fact that for more than five months, we have stood together in the war against Hamas … But I also told him that we don’t have a way to defeat Hamas without going into Rafah, and eliminating the remaining battalions there. And I told him that I hope that we will do it with America’s support, but if we need, we will do it alone,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters right after a war cabinet meeting attended by the senior US official.

According to sources familiar with Friday’s meeting who spoke with Axios, Blinken warned Netanyahu and his war cabinet that without a clear plan for the day after the genocide of Palestinians ends, Israel will be left with a major insurgency.

“You need a coherent plan, or either you’re going to be stuck in Gaza,” Blinken said, according to the source. In response, Netanyahu reportedly told him: “We will have our hands full for decades.”

Earlier this week, the White House reported that US President Joe Biden told Netanyahu that the invasion of Rafah would be a “mistake.” In response, the Israeli premier doubled down on his plan, telling lawmakers that Tel Aviv is “determined” to lay siege to the tiny strip of land where 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering.

US media reported last week that Washington had set conditions to support the ground invasion of Rafah. “In private conversations, top administration officials have signaled to Israel that they could support a plan more akin to counterterrorism operations than all-out war,” POLITICO reported.

During his visit to Tel Aviv, the US state secretary also met with opposition leader Benny Gantz, whom the White House hosted earlier this month in a move that enraged Netanyahu.

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