Washington, Feb 15 (EFE).- United States President Joe Biden on Thursday discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the possibility of Israel’s invasion of Rafah, which has raised concern among the international community over its impact on the civilian population.
Biden “reiterated his view that a military operation should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the civilians in Rafah,” the White House said in a readout of the telephone conversation between the two leaders.
The US president also reiterated the urgency of ensuring humanitarian aid reaches Palestinian civilians in desperate need.
Both discussed the ongoing negotiations between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas on the release of Israeli hostages held by the latter.
Netanyahu has so far dismissed Hamas’s proposals for a truce and prisoner exchange and is pressing forward with military operations in the Gaza Strip as he awaits a new offer.
On Thursday. the Israeli military raided Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, which has been under siege for 25 days.
Israel said the raid was carried out based on intelligence that Hamas was holding some of the Israeli hostages at the hospital.
Nasser Hospital is the largest in southern Gaza and the largest remaining operational medical facility in the whole of the enclave.
Hamas and other Palestinian militias are still holding around 130 hostages since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, of whom some 30 are believed to have died.
Israel suspects that there may also be bodies of the hostages in the hospital’s compound. EFE
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