White House spokesperson: “Israel cannot defeat Hamas in Rafah”

White House spokesperson: “Israel cannot defeat Hamas in Rafah”

“The President and his team have been clear for several weeks that we do not support a major ground operation in Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering with nowhere safe to go.

An enduring defeat of Hamas certainly remains the Israeli goal, and we share that goal. Smashing into Rafah, in his view, will not advance that objective and will not get to that sustainable, enduring defeat of Hamas.

Israel has to make its decisions. We understand that and we’ll have to make ours based on what they do.

We hope they don’t make those kinds of decisions to go into Rafah, but I think the President was crystal clear last night that if they do smash into Rafah in a major way, then he’s going to have to make future decisions.”