The meeting between senior officials from the United States and Israel, held virtually on Thursday, was expected to cover Israel’s plans for the southern Gaza city of Rafah and its contemplation of a retaliatory strike against Iran.
U.S. and Israeli officials stated that this meeting follows a similar one held on April 1. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby informed reporters aboard Air Force One that the meeting had commenced.
President Joe Biden has encouraged Israel to refrain from conducting a large-scale offensive in Rafah to prevent further civilian casualties in Gaza, where Palestinian health authorities report over 33,000 deaths from Israel’s assault.
The meeting coincides with Israel’s deliberations on retaliating against Iranian targets following Iran’s recent drone and ballistic missile attacks on Israel.
The U.S. is working to dissuade Israel from retaliatory strikes to avoid worsening an already tense situation, according to a second U.S. official.
Leading the U.S. delegation in the talks is White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, with participation from Biden’s Middle East envoy, Brett McGurk, among others.
On the Israeli side, Israel’s strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi are leading the delegation. Discussion topics include operational and humanitarian planning for Rafah.
Plans for in-person talks on Rafah have been postponed due to the aftermath of Iran’s attack on Israel with drones and missiles, an Israeli official stated.
In Ramallah, the Palestinian government urged the Biden administration to “immediately intervene to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against our Palestinian people.”
