Blinken Says Israeli Assault on Gaza's Rafah Would Be a Mistake

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that a major Israeli ground assault on the southern Gaza town of Rafah would be "a mistake" and unnecessary for defeating Hamas. Blinken's statement came during his sixth urgent Mideast mission since the war began, where he met with top Arab diplomats in Cairo to discuss efforts for a cease-fire and ideas for Gaza's post-conflict future. He emphasized the need for an "immediate, sustained ceasefire" and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.Blinken is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet on Friday. The growing disagreements between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden over the prosecution of the war are expected to overshadow the talks, particularly over Netanyahu's determination to launch a ground assault on Rafah. Blinken argued that a major offensive would lead to more civilian deaths and worsen Gaza's humanitarian crisis.Netanyahu has dismissed warnings about a Rafah operation and vowed to move ahead with it, alarming the US and other countries who fear it will result in an even larger humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza without a credible plan in place to get civilians out. US officials have said they have yet to see such a plan and are prepared to offer alternatives to an all-out assault on the city.As Blinken and the Arab ministers met, Gaza's Health Ministry raised the territory's death toll to nearly 32,000 Palestinians since the war began. UN officials also warned that famine is "imminent" in northern Gaza. The Cairo talks gathered Blinken with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as a top official from the Palestine Liberation Organisation. They discussed ways to increase urgent humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza by land, air, and sea.In an earlier meeting with Blinken, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi stressed the need for an immediate cease-fire and warned against the "dangerous repercussions" of any Israeli offensive in Rafah. Both parties renewed their rejection of the forced displacement of Gazans and agreed on the importance of taking all necessary measures to ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.Blinken said "gaps are narrowing" in talks over a cease-fire. A day earlier at his tour's first stop in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Blinken told the Saudi Al-Hadath network that mediators had worked with Israel to put a "strong proposal" on the table. He said Hamas rejected it but came back with other demands that mediators are working on.The United States is seeking a swift vote on a newly revised and tougher UN resolution demanding "an immediate and sustained cease-fire" to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered. The US deputy ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said he hoped a vote could take place by the end of the week.Netanyahu has also rejected Biden administration's repeated remonstrations that Israel's long-term security cannot be assured without the creation of an independent Palestinian state. A clear path and deadline for forming a Palestinian state are key requirements for Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel – something Netanyahu is keen to achieve.