The Biden administration has offered Israel "valuable" intelligence to help locate Hamas leaders and hidden tunnels in the Gaza Strip in a bid to prevent a full-scale IDF invasion of Rafah, The Washington Post reported Saturday according to sources.
For months, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged a major offensive in Rafah, an operation considered crucial to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of the hostages held by the terror organization since Oct. 7.
Some 133 Israelis remain captive, including children. On Saturday, Hamas aired its latest propaganda video showing British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell, 51. Popplewell was taken hostage with his mother, Channah Peri, 79, from their home on Kibbutz Nirim, and his older brother Roi Popplewell, 54, was shot and killed by terrorists behind his home on the kibbutz.
The Biden administration assessed that Hamas would welcome a deadly, destructive battle in Rafah that would further isolate Israel. Israel has conducted some raids in Rafah in recent days but US officials say a full invasion hasn't occurred yet despite assurances.
Over 1.3 million Palestinians took shelter in Rafah after Israeli directives to leave other areas of the strip. The US is consulting with Israel on a humanitarian plan to safely evacuate and relocate the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians currently in the city.
