Israel briefs its top ally on plan to evacuate Rafah civilians

U.S. still concerned about risk to innocent Palestinians in city.

Israel last week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential Rafah operation to root out Hamas militants in the southern Gaza city.

That’s according to U.S. officials familiar with the talks who were not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity to speak about the sensitive exchange.

The officials said the plan detailed by the Israelis did not change the U.S. administration’s view that moving forward with an operation in the southern Gaza city would put too many innocent Palestinian civilians at risk.

White House press secretary Karine JeanPierre told reporters Friday no “comprehensive” plan for a potential Rafah operation has been revealed by the Israelis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to carry out a military operation in Rafah despite warnings from President Joe Biden and other western officials that doing so would result in more civilian deaths and worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis.

The Biden administration has said there could be consequences for Israel should it move forward with the operation without a credible plan to safeguard civilians.

“Absent such a plan, we can’t support a major military operation going into Rafah because the damage it would do is beyond what’s acceptable,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Friday at the Sedona Forum, an event in Arizona hosted by the McCain Institute.

Some 1.5 million Palestinians have sheltered in the southern Gaza city as the territory has been ravaged by the war that began Oct. 7 after Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.

The United Nations humanitarian aid agency Friday said hundreds of thousands of people would be “at imminent risk of death” if Israel moves forward with the Rafah assault. The border city is a critical entry point for humanitarian aid and is filled with displaced Palestinians, many in densely packed tent camps.

The officials added the evacuation plan the Israelis briefed was not finalized, and both sides agreed to keep discussing the matter.