Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's close confidants, Ron Dermer and Tzachi Hanegbi, are set to travel to Washington, DC, for meetings with US officials, as per a statement from Netanyahu's office. The specific officials to be met and the exact timing of the visit were not disclosed in the statement. However, the White House has indicated that the visit is expected to take place early next week.
Dermer, a member of Israel's war cabinet and former ambassador to the United States, will be part of the delegation. The US has been urging Israel to clarify its strategy for safeguarding over 1 million Palestinians seeking refuge in southern Gaza amid Israeli warnings of an impending military operation in Rafah. The Biden administration has expressed that Israel has not yet presented a concrete plan.
On Monday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan revealed that President Biden had requested Netanyahu to send a team to Washington to address US concerns regarding Israel's planned actions in Rafah. The aim is to explore alternative approaches that target key Hamas elements in Rafah and secure the Egypt-Gaza border without a large-scale ground invasion.
In response, the Israeli statement emphasized Netanyahu's resolve to address the situation in Rafah by eliminating remaining Hamas forces while also providing humanitarian aid to civilians. The delegation from Israel will include a representative from the Coordination of Government Actions in the Territories, although the individual's identity was not disclosed in the statement.
