Israel and US officials will meet despite Israel cancelling the last delegation meeting in response to the US abstaining during a UN resolution vote.
White House confirms Israel delegation meeting is to be rescheduled
The White House has confirmed that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has agreed to reschedule a planned US-Israeli official meeting to discuss a possible operation in Rafah, just days after Netanyahu cancelled the delegation.
“The Prime Minister’s Office has agreed to reschedule the meeting dedicated to Rafah,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “So, we’re now working with them to set to find a convenient date that’s obviously going to work for both sides, but his office has agreed to reschedule that meeting which would be dedicated to Rafah, which is a good thing.”
The meeting could be as early as next week, though no date has been finalised, according to a CNN report.
The Security Council just approved a long-awaited resolution on Gaza, demanding an immediate ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 25, 2024
This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable.
Jean-Pierre declined to say when the administration was hoping for the rescheduled meeting but said it remained an “urgent” priority.
Netanyahu cancelled the delegation’s planned trip this week over objections to the US abstaining from a UN Security Council vote calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The US held “constructive discussions with Israel’s defence minister over the last two days” and “Rafah was one of the many topics discussed with Jake Sullivan, Tony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, and Bill Burns,” the official said.
An Israeli official told CNN they are in the process of rescheduling the visit to DC to hear US ideas for how to target Hamas in Rafah.