White House Advisor National Security Commissioner Jake Sullivan held a second round of talks with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, March 26, as the United States presses its position against Israel's ground operation in Rafah.
The White House meeting took place a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suddenly banned the Israeli delegation from meeting with their American counterparts after the United States allowed the approval of a UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, Reuters reports.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that protecting Palestinian civilians in the war between Israel and Hamas is a moral and strategic imperative and that the humanitarian catastrophe in besieged Gaza is worsening. Austin said this before starting a meeting at the Pentagon with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant.
President Joe Biden is trying to prevent a ground operation in southern Gaza due to the dire humanitarian situation and the risk of civilian casualties.
Rafah is the last refuge for approximately half of Gaza's total population. Many Palestinians have been forced to move to the area due to fighting elsewhere.
Palestinian authorities estimate that since the start of the IDF operation in response to the Hamas killing of 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, there have been More than 32 thousand people were killed.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, answering questions from reporters aboard the presidential plane, said Sullivan assured Gallant of his “steadfastness” support for Israel and that the parties discussed the need for Israel to “do more to maintain and expand humanitarian assistance flowing into Gaza.”
” It is critical that Israel do everything possible to prevent casualties among the civilian population and carried out operations as strategically and precisely as possible, directing his actions to protect the civilians of Rafah, she said.
Biden's speech in Raleigh, North Carolina, was briefly interrupted by protesters , shouting about the need for more aid to Gaza.
"They have a point. “We need to send a lot more aid to Gaza,” Biden said.
U.S. officials have been trying for weeks to negotiate a deal in which sick, elderly and wounded Israeli hostages would be handed over to the movement. Hamas in exchange for a six-week ceasefire and the release of some Palestinian prisoners.
A White House spokesman said Monday that progress had been made in negotiations in recent days.
Prepared by Sergei Daga