Israel is pushing for the Rafah offensive even without US approval – but is hoping for new weapons. An Israeli delegation will travel to Washington next week at the request of the US government.
At the meeting, Washington plans to present alternatives to a ground offensive, according to reports. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, in his own words, "made it unequivocally clear" to US President Joe Biden that his government is determined to destroy the last remaining Rafah battalions. This is the only way to sustainably defeat and disempower Hamas.