Topline
Vice President Kamala Harris warned there could be “consequences” for Israel if it continues with its planned invasion of Rafah—the Gaza town where many Palestinians are sheltering because of fighting elsewhere—the most pointed threat yet from the U.S., as France soon echoed her remarks.
Vice President Kamala Harris in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Friday.
Key Facts
Harris said the Biden Administration had been clear with the Israelis, “any major military operation” in Rafah would “be a huge mistake,” while speaking with ABC News for an interview that aired Sunday.
The vice president’s comments come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubles down on his plan that Israel approved a plan to invade Rafah, despite the thousands of people taking shelter there.
Harris said the U.S. has not ruled out consequences if Israel invades Rafah, saying the administration was going to “take it one step at a time.”
French President Emmanuel Macron later warned Netanyahu about the potential repercussions of a Rafah invasion Sunday saying that forcing people to move from Rafah would constitute “a war crime.”
Crucial Quote
“Let me tell you something,” Harris said. “I have studied the maps. There’s nowhere for those folks to go.”
Big Number
1.4 million. That’s how many people are living in Rafah, according to the United Nations. Before the war, the U.N. estimated the population of the Egypt-bordering town was around 250,000.
Key Background
Earlier this month, Netanyahu announced he approved a plan to invade Rafah in an attempt to destroy Hamas, the group that invaded Israel on Oct. 7. President Joe Biden and other world leaders quickly voiced concerns about a Rafah invasion, but Netanyahu doubled down. The Israeli Prime Minister posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this month saying he would “continue to repel the pressures” from other countries not to enter Rafah. But others have warned an invasion into Rafah could be disastrous. Martin Griffiths, the U.N.’s top humanitarian official, said in February that “military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza” and could leave “an already fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door.”
Tangent
Before Harris and Macron’s warnings on Sunday, other world leaders had also sounded alarms. In February, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, released a joint statement condemning the potential invasion. The leaders called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and warned that a Rafah invasion would have a “devastating” impact on the Palestinian people sheltering there.
Further Reading
