The View From Rafah

"[Should the Biden administration follow through on its threat to stall U.S. military aid for Israel, the White House would be] rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk."

"It's impossible to mitigate civilian deaths in Gaza as long as Hamas uses their own population as human shields. I've never seen in the history of warfare such blatant efforts by an enemy, Hamas, to put civilians at risk. And the last thing you want to do is reward this behavior. They put weapons in mosques. They fire artillery rounds from apartment buildings. They put command centers under hospitals to maximize civilian casualties as Israel tries to destroy the terrorist group."
"Americans should be all in and helping Israel against an existential threat. The one thing Israel and America has in common. Hamas would attack us if they could. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism that shouts ‘Death to America, and Hezbollah is in the same camp."

"I've never heard anybody in Israel chant 'Death to America.' The people Israel is fighting are bent on destroying all of the Jews. This is Holocaust Remembrance Month, for God's sake. We should unequivocally support Israel."

"Yes. Work with them to limit civilian casualties. They want to do that. I know they do. They have a whole battalion dedicated to that. But this idea of worth holding weapons to Israel is rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk." 

Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican-South Carolina

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., reacting to the White House's warning that it will halt some weapons supplies to Israel.

"I made it clear [in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] that if they go into Rafah ... I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used  historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities."

"I made it clear that if they go into Rafah - they haven't gone in Rafah yet - if they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem."

"We're not walking away from Israel's security.We're walking away from Israel's ability to wage war in those areas."

U.S. President Joe Biden

A week ago a pause on the shipment of 2,000-and-500-pound bombs was enacted as President Biden proceeded with his threat to do just that should Israeli President Netanyahu not heed his cautionary words warning that his administration would not support a mass Israeli incursion into the southernmost city in Gaza where 4 Hamas battalions are sheltering amidst a million Palestinian civilians whom the Hamas leadership coerced into travelling there as human shields. 

The sale of 6,500 kits used to turn unguided bombs into precision-guided weapons were also held back, as well as $1-billion of tank munitions, mortar rounds and other weapons. Although the situation was known to be on the brink of action, the White House withheld the declaration until after President Biden presented his Holocaust Remembrance Day speech. For that occasion presenting himself and his administration as mindful of the suffering and limitless loss of Jewish lives, unimpeded with the reality that he was prepared to abandon support of Israel at a critical moment.

The tension between Washington and Jerusalem had been building for months over Israel's declared and needful plans to enter Rafah to complete its mission to destroy the military operability of Hamas, and in the process prevent another endless string of October 7s from recurring, as openly stated by the Hamas leadership. According to the U.S., a full-scale operation would deleteriously impact the humanitarian crisis among displaced Palestinians.

Israel's concern is that the only way to complete its objectives is by marching into the city to counter Hamas operatives, destroy its military infrastructure, and neuter the terrorist group's capacity to inflict more lethal damage on Israel and its citizens. It is believed that Rafah is home to the remaining Hamas forces and its senior leadership in Gaza. Many of the Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza are believed to be held in Rafah.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did an interview with TV personality Dr. Phil about his views on the war with Hamas and what will happen next in Gaza, vowing to defeat Hamas despite his 'disagreement' with U.S. President Biden. CBC still from video

 

The U.S. advocates for Israel to commit to a strategy of targeted strikes, to cooperate with Egypt and cut off cross-border weapons smuggling. This has been done for years, yet weapons continued to make their way through the Rafah crossing through Egypt from Iran, supplying its protege Hamas with updated rocketry and missiles, regardless. The Biden administration insists that Israel has not provided it with a credible plan for protecting the displaced Palestinian civilians sheltering in Rafah.

Israel on the other hand, has divided southern Gaza into zones where civilians can be assured where the safe areas are located. Evacuation from the southeastern parts of Rafah were ordered prior to the IDF  taking control of a critical road leading from the Rafah crossing to Khan Younis, where it met in battle on the outskirts of the city with Hamas terrorists. Israel has purchased 40,000 tents to shelter civilians set up in a field outside Al-Mawasi, a dedicated safe zone northwest of Rafah.

Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing for increased aid delivery, after Hamas rocket fire from that area into Israel saw to its temporary closure. Failing to curb arms shipments would result in Hamas regrouping. Hope of securing the release of the hostages would dissipate. Had Israel entered Rafah months ago for its declared deep-sweep of Hamas to destroy its weapons and capture its leaders while finally releasing the hostages, the displaced Palestinian civilians would long ago have been able to return to their villages to begin rebuilding.

The Biden administration, however, is wedded to its 'solution' of withholding weapons required by Israel to complete its pledge of destroying the terrorist group's ability to continue its death-cult agenda. In the process committing to leave Israel without the weapons required to defend itself against the genocidal aggressor pledged to annihilate the state and Jews everywhere. So much for American 'special relations' with the Jewish State; when push comes to shove Israel's survival is negotiable.

Forcing its will on Israel whose military is committed to go to any lengths to protect the lives of civilians, and in so doing complicating its own military operations, as the only nation on Earth that has communicated with a target population to give them ample warning to protect themselves, taking especial steps to ensure that civilians are as protected as they possibly can be  in a theatre of war when their own government deliberately places them in harm's way both to act as human shields for the terrorists' longevity, and as public relations fodder, in accusing Israel of  'genocidal' intent.

 

A view of a makeshift tent camp in Rafah, in the Gaza, is seen Friday. (Abdel Kareem Hana/The Associated Press)