(IntegrityPress.org) – The White House has denied reports that it is withholding valuable intelligence from Israeli authorities unless Israel withdraws from the Gazan city of Rafah.
Anonymous sources claim that following warnings from Pres. Biden not to invade Rafah, the Biden administration is trying to stop the invasion by offering information on the location of several top Hamas officials and underground tunnels on the condition that Israel ceases its ground assault on the city.
The reports follow Pres. Biden’s recent signing of an order preventing a weapons shipment from being sent from the U.S. to Israel, a move which resulted in a bipartisan backlash. More than two dozen House Democrats signed a letter saying they were concerned with the decision to block the weapons export, and some Republican lawmakers have even talked about starting impeachment proceedings against the president.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rebuffed Biden’s calls to leave Rafah untouched. According to Israeli authorities, as well as the more than one million civilians thought to be currently residing in Rafah, five of Hamas’ six remaining battalions have hunkered down in the city. Netanyahu has reaffirmed his commitment to destroying Hamas which he says necessitates a full-scale invasion of Rafah.
Israeli forces have also ramped up efforts in northern Gaza and the central city of Zaytoun as Israel attempts to disperse or kill remaining Hamas soldiers it believes are gathering in such locations. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has dropped leaflets written in Arabic into the northern city of Jabalya which address Hamas leaders, warning them that should they recoup in the city then the IDF will “return like a roaring flood”.
A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council has denied the claims that the U.S. is using vital intelligence as leverage against its long-time ally, saying that the U.S. was not “holding anything back” and wanted to see Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar held accountable for the October 7 massacre and kidnappings.
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