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(A7) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to postpone the planned operation in the Gazan city of Rafah, Kan 11 News reported on Sunday evening.
The report comes a week after Netanyahu announced that there is a date for action in Rafah. In recent days, however, he has decided to postpone the action, according to the report.
Earlier on Sunday, the IDF said that, in accordance with the situational assessment, it is calling up approximately two reserve brigades for operational activities on the Gazan front.
“Their calling will allow the continuous effort and readiness to defend the state of Israel and the security of civilians,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement.
The US administration has repeatedly stressed its opposition to an Israeli operation in Rafah. Secretary of State Blinken, who recently visited Israel, reiterated that position and said, “We share Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas, which is responsible for the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. And we share the goal of ensuring Israel’s long-term security. As we’ve said, though, a major military ground operation in Rafah is not the way to do it.”
White House spokesperson John Kirby later said, “We believe a major ground offensive [in Rafah] is a mistake” and would be a “disaster”.
US Vice President Kamala Harris told ABC News in late March that she would not rule out “consequences” if Israel carried out a military operation in Rafah.
