Sullivan Says the U.S. Does Not Believe a Major Military Operation Should Proceed in Rafah

WELKER Let me ask ░░░░░░░░ about Israel Israeli Prime ░░░░░░░░ Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday announced ░░░░░░░░ he will convene a ░░░░░░░░ meeting at the beginning ░░░░░░░░ this week to approve ░░░░░░░░ operational plans for action ░░░░░░░░ Rafah including the evacuation ░░░░░░░░ says of the civilian ░░░░░░░░ there Has the president ░░░░░░░░ this plan Has he ░░░░░░░░ briefed on it SULLIVAN ░░░░░░░░ has not And beyond ░░░░░░░░ Kristen we have been ░░░░░░░░ clear about our view ░░░░░░░░ We re talking about ░░░░░░░░ than a million people ░░░░░░░░ have been pushed into ░░░░░░░░ small space in Gaza ░░░░░░░░ of military operations elsewhere ░░░░░░░░ s also the area ░░░░░░░░ all of the humanitarian ░░░░░░░░ comes into Gaza to ░░░░░░░░ all of Gaza And ░░░░░░░░ we ve been clear ░░░░░░░░ we do not believe ░░░░░░░░ a major military operation ░░░░░░░░ proceed in Rafah unless ░░░░░░░░ is a clear and ░░░░░░░░ plan to protect those ░░░░░░░░ to get them to ░░░░░░░░ and to feed clothe ░░░░░░░░ house them And we ░░░░░░░░ not seen a plan ░░░░░░░░ that WELKER Well is ░░░░░░░░ president willing to withhold ░░░░░░░░ sales until he does ░░░░░░░░ the plan What s ░░░░░░░░ willing to do in ░░░░░░░░ of leverage here SULLIVAN ░░░░░░░░ I m not going ░░░░░░░░ get into hypotheticals because ░░░░░░░░ this time what we ░░░░░░░░ doing is telling our ░░░░░░░░ counterparts privately just as ░░░░░░░░ are saying publicly that ░░░░░░░░ believe that this operation ░░░░░░░░ not go forward until ░░░░░░░░ unless we see that ░░░░░░░░ haven t seen it ░░░░░░░░ we re waiting to ░░░░░░░░ from the Israelis on ░░░░░░░░ front.”