Is US-Israeli tension over a potential military campaign on Rafah real?
“The extent of the horror exceeds our capacity to articulate it,” UNICEF spokesman James Elder said as he journeyed through Gaza this week, depicting scenes of complete devastation, and where bustling and densely-populated cities have been reduced to nothingness.
Nevertheless, can the Palestinians of Gaza just breathe a little bit of hope as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken tells the Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant who is visiting Washington that the White House, completely rejects any ground troops assault on the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip while it seeks to look for alternatives for the eradication of Hamas.
The potential of a Rafah onslaught which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on carrying out, is receiving lots of coverage on the social media. All focus is on the small city which presently houses 1.4 million Palestinians.
Gallant maybe getting the same message from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin which he met in Washington, Tuesday. Austin said civilian casualties from an Israeli ground offensive on the city would be too high and suggested other alternatives.
The alternatives are as yet vague but maybe, the Israelis are already mulling these although may not like to admit the fact. Ever since there has been talk about an Israeli troop invasion, there has been procrastination on their side as well.
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has always said that Israel needs more time to prepare since his troops are busy fighting elsewhere in most areas of the Gaza Strip. Could that be an indication they might not go into the city of Rafah because of the logistics of the operation and the human cost it would entail.
What is for sure is that Israeli planes are already striking homes and killing people in the city of Rafah on a daily basis. These are people who are sleeping in the middle of the night suddenly blown up with their relatives shown to pick up the pieces on satellite television.
These are not isolated incidents but sustained daily which may mean the onslaught on Rafah, which was isolated in the early months of the war on Gaza maybe taking a new more forceful dimension.
But the guessing game may continue because of American pressure with the US breathing down Netanyahu’s neck. He in turn, is not making it easy because as he maintains there will be a ground invasion with or without American blessing.
But the guessing game goes both ways especially on the international level. Israel now feels betrayed that the USA abstained in a UN Security Council vote which called for an immediate ceasefire on Gaza.
Netanyahu felt Washington should have vetoed the resolution and demonstrated greater commitment to Israel. The fact it didn’t maybe seen as further pressure on Israel not to go for a ground assault on Rafah. However, after the UN resolution Israeli warplanes bombed Rafah just the same.
One blogger commented that a day after the UN resolution passed Israel has maintained its bombing of civilian homes with US bombs and UK, German, Canadian and Australian support. He added that those who have Security Council seats should lose it for such support.
Upset with the fact, Netanyahu suspended the sending of an Israeli team to Washington who were to be there to explain the ongoing Israeli military operations and no doubt discuss the “alternatives” to an outright onslaught on Rafah.
Dr Marwan Asmar is a writer based in Amman covering Middle East Affairs.
