US Democrats Urge Biden to Prevent Israeli Attack on Rafah

(Patria) - The administration of US President Joe Biden faced renewed pressure from his Democratic colleagues on Wednesday to influence Israel not to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah, a city where nearly half of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million residents have taken shelter, Reuters reported.

57 out of 212 Democrats in the House of Representatives signed a letter calling on the administration to take all possible measures to deter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government from a general offensive on the city near the Egyptian border.

"We urge you to invoke existing law and policy to immediately halt certain offensive military assistance to the Israeli government, including assistance from previously enacted laws, to prevent a full-scale assault on Rafah," stated the letter led by Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Madeleine Dean.

Biden's support for Israel in its war against Hamas has become a significant political liability for the president, especially among young Democrats.

This has fueled a wave of "uncommitted" protest votes in Democratic primaries and also sparked a wave of pro-Palestinian protests at American universities. This is causing concern among Democrats as Biden faces a tight rematch against his Republican predecessor Donald Trump.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that he had not yet seen a plan for an Israeli offensive on Rafah that would protect civilians, reiterating that Washington cannot support such an attack.

Blinken and Netanyahu met in Jerusalem on Wednesday, after which Israel reiterated that the Rafah operation would continue despite the US stance and the UN's warning that it would lead to a "tragedy".

The United States is Israel's main diplomatic ally and arms supplier. Blinken's visit to Israel followed about a month after Biden issued a stern warning that Washington's policy could change if Israel did not take steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of humanitarian workers.