May 09 Watch 4:18 Netanyahu vows Israel will continue Rafah operation after U.S. freezes bomb delivery By Nick Schifrin Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said his country would “stand alone if necessary," in response to President Biden’s move to pause deliveries of some bombs to Israel. That decision has created a possible turning point in the U.S.-Israel relationship and the… Continue watching
May 09 Watch 8:52 Middle East experts discuss if U.S. weapons pause will change Israel’s tactics in Gaza By Nick Schifrin, Zeba Warsi, Dan Sagalyn Will the Biden administration's holding up sending bombs to pressure Israel from launching a large-scale assault on Rafah have the desired effect? Nick Schifrin has views from Dennis Ross, who played leading roles in the Middle East peace process for… Continue watching
May 09 Netanyahu says Israel ‘will stand alone’ if it has to after U.S. threatens halt in weapons delivery By Joseph Krauss, Sam Mednick, Menelaos Hadjicostis, Associated Press Israel says that Rafah is Hamas' last stronghold in Gaza and Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to invade the city, despite widespread international opposition due concerns over the more than 1 million Palestinian civilians are huddled in the city. Continue reading
May 09 WATCH: GOP senators respond to Biden threat stopping weapons for Israel for Rafah attack By Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani, Associated Press The decision drew a sharp rebuke from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who said they only learned about the holdup from press reports. Continue reading
May 07 Israeli forces take control of Rafah crossing in Gaza, compromising cease-fire talks By Samy Magdy, Melanie Lidman, Lee Keath, Associated Press U.S. President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again on Monday against launching an invasion of the city after Israel ordered 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate from parts of Rafah. Continue reading
May 06 Watch 11:01 Israel launches operation into Rafah, says cease-fire agreement not reached with Hamas By Nick Schifrin, William Brangham, Dan Sagalyn It is a delicate and momentous day in the Middle East. The Israeli military says it has launched a new operation into parts of Rafah in southern Gaza. At the same time, the Israeli government says it's continuing negotiations to… Continue watching
May 06 Israel strikes targets in Rafah, hours after Hamas agrees to a cease-fire By Sam Mednick, Josef Federman, Bassem Mroue, Associated Press The high-stakes diplomatic moves and military brinkmanship left a glimmer of hope alive — but only barely — for an accord that could bring at least a pause in the 7-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. Continue reading
May 06 Biden reiterates concern about Rafah offensive on call to Netanyahu By Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani, Associated Press President Joe Biden also underscored to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he believes reaching a cease-fire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of hostages held in Gaza, according to White House officials, who were not… Continue reading
Apr 30 Netanyahu determined to invade Rafah despite ongoing cease-fire talks with Hamas By Tia Goldenberg, Associated Press With more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people sheltering in Rafah, the international community, including Israel' top ally the U.S., has warned Israel against any offensive that puts civilians at risk. Continue reading
Apr 21 Israeli leaders criticize expected U.S. sanctions against ultra-Orthodox military unit By Josef Federman, Associated Press The decision, expected as soon as Monday, would mark the first time the U.S. has ever imposed sanctions on a unit inside the Israeli military and further strains relations between the two allies, which have grown increasingly tense during Israel’s war in… Continue reading