UPDATE - White House, Israeli representatives discuss Rafah situation: Pentagon

US position not changed in terms of importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance, civilian safety are taken into account, spokesman says

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By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House and Israeli representatives on Thursday discussed the situation in Gaza's city of Rafah, a Pentagon spokesman announced.

"The White House was hosting a session today with senior Israeli representatives to discuss the Rafah situation," Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters."Our position has not changed in terms of the importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance and civilian safety are taken into account as Israel conducts its operations against Hamas," said Ryder.

His remarks came after an Israeli government spokesperson said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set a date for invading Rafah, where more than 1.5 million people have taken refuge from Israel’s ongoing war on the Palestinian enclave, despite opposition from several countries, including the US.

When asked whether Pentagon has been presented by Israeli plan for an operation into Rafah, Ryder said: "There's been ongoing technical discussions in terms of enabling the Israelis to understand the key points that we're making and incorporating those into any plans."

The US position has been "pretty clear," Ryder stressed.

"We understand the need for Israel to go after Hamas until (it) eliminates or defeats Hamas as a threat. And so, we believe there's a way to do that, while also taking into account civilian safety and ensuring humanitarian assistance," he added.

During the meeting, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Melissa Dalton, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy Dan Shapiro, and Maj. Gen. Joseph McGee, the Joint Staff Vice Director for Strategy Plans and Policy, were representing the Department of Defense, Ryder said.

The US delegation was led by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. A National Security Council spokesperson described the meeting as a "follow-up" to an initial virtual session held on April 1. A readout is expected to be released later Thursday.

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