ADespite this assurance from Tel Aviv, John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, reiterated that Washington continues to oppose a ground offensive in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, and wants this crossing point humanitarian aid station along the Egyptian border, closed by the Israeli army, be reopened “as quickly as possible”.

Rafah is the main transit point for humanitarian aid to Gaza and where more than a million displaced Palestinians from other areas of the territory have taken refuge.

In recent weeks, Israel has threatened to carry out an offensive operation in Rafah, where it says the last active units of the Palestinian extremist group Hamas are located.

In the same statements, Kirby added that Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas “should be able to fill the remaining gaps” to reach a ceasefire agreement, which is currently under discussion.

The US spokesman said he expected a final agreement to be reached “very soon” during negotiations taking place in Cairo, Egypt, despite these gaps, which he did not clarify.

Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States of America (USA) are holding talks in Cairo today with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, with a view to a truce in the Gaza Strip, according to Egyptian media outlet Al-Qahera News, considered close to the Egyptian secret services.

“The Qatari and US delegations are continuing talks with the Egyptian and Hamas delegations” to discuss a ceasefire, the media outlet reported, citing a senior official who did not mention the presence of an Israeli delegation.

The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, which caused around 1,200 deaths and two hundred hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

Since then, Israel has launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip that has caused nearly 35,000 deaths, according to Hamas, which has governed the small Palestinian enclave since 2007.

Read Also: “States must pressure Israel” to cease operations in Rafah

Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2555857/israel-garantiu-aos-eua-que-operacao-em-rafah-e-limitada

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