Amid escalating international warnings, particularly from the US, about Israel’s potential incursion into the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, discussions have intensified in the past few hours regarding an alternative plan that Washington is expected to propose.
A senior US official revealed that his country will propose, during an upcoming US-Israeli meeting this week, that Israel enhance border security between Egypt and Gaza as an alternative to this incursion.
He explained that “reaching a new arrangement with Cairo and building the necessary infrastructure to cut off smuggling routes between the Gaza Strip and Egyptian territories would be more important and effective in dismantling Hamas than launching a major ground assault in the densely populated city.”
He also said, “If Israel invades Rafah with all the resulting civilian casualties, cooperation with Egypt regarding the Philadelphi Corridor will be much more difficult.”
Additionally, he added that the alternative plans the US wants to discuss with the Israeli delegation visiting Washington will also include intensifying efforts to begin the reconstruction of Gaza, as well as building a practical alternative to the Hamas movement, as reported by “Times of Israel” newspaper.
Ideas for alternative methods of pursuing Hamas leaders without launching a major ground operation in Rafah will also be presented, according to two senior US officials.
However, according to one official, this does not mean that Washington will tell Israel that it cannot invade Rafah, but rather it will express its willingness to work with the Israeli side to provide practical alternatives that achieve the objectives at the same time.
