What's happened
The United States has issued a strong warning to Israel against invading the crowded city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the potential humanitarian crisis it could deepen. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call, agreeing to send teams to Washington to discuss the situation. The US stressed that a major assault on Rafah would be a mistake, leading to more civilian deaths and worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Why it matters
The US warning to Israel regarding a potential invasion of Rafah in Gaza is crucial in preventing further escalation of the conflict, protecting civilian lives, and addressing the dire humanitarian crisis in the region. The agreement to hold discussions in Washington signifies a diplomatic effort to avert a major ground operation that could have severe consequences for the people of Gaza and impact Israel's international standing.
What the papers say
Al Jazeera reports the US warning to Israel against invading Rafah, highlighting the potential humanitarian consequences and Biden's commitment to preventing further civilian deaths. Sky News focuses on the phone call between Biden and Netanyahu, emphasizing the agreement to send teams to Washington for discussions. South China Morning Post provides details on the planned meeting in Washington, stressing the importance of preventing anarchy and deepening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
How we got here
The conflict between Israel and Gaza has been ongoing, with recent tensions escalating over the potential Israeli military operation in Rafah. The US intervention comes amidst concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need to prevent further civilian casualties. The decision to hold discussions in Washington reflects diplomatic efforts to address the situation and avoid a major escalation of violence.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
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Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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Rafah is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. It is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate, located 30 kilometers south of Gaza City. Rafah's population of 152,950 is overwhelmingly made up of former Palestinian refugees.
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Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan is an American policymaker and was a senior policy advisor to Hillary Clinton's 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, with expertise in foreign policy. He was spoken of as a front-runner for the position of U.S.
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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and represented Delaware in the United States Senate
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.