Biden Administration changes tune on Rafah and approves of IDF operation

An Israeli official told WSJ, ‘This Administration never supports anything we do until we do it.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Although the Biden Administration was consistent in their warnings against the IDF operating in Rafah, given the large number of civilians located there, Washington has changed its tune.

It even seems to be taking partial credit, as if they approved of military action all along.

“This Administration never supports anything we do until we do it,” a senior Israeli official told the The Wall Street Journal. 

However, for months US Presient Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeatedly insisted that Israel had “no credible plan” for the evacuation of  1.3 million civilians.

Nevertheless, Washington shifted on the news this week that Israel had successfully evacuated 950,000 civilians.

Earlier this month, the Biden Administration was so convinced that this would be impossible that they threatened an arms embargo against Israel and even held up the shipment of certain types of military aid, including bombs.

Regarding the delay in delivery of previously approved military aid, Joe Biden said at the time, “We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas.”

However, Israel has successfully evacuated the majority of Gazan civilians and has undertaken crucial operations against Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure there.

Israel has insisted that operating in Rafah is crucial to defeating Hamas since it still has four battalions located there.

The IDF has already uncovered 50 tunnels running from Rafah into Egypt.

After the IDF completes clearing a buffer zone along the border, Israel can cut off the delivery of supplies to the terrorist organization through Egypt and can prevent future insurgency.

The Biden Administration welcomed the news that Israel had evacuated Palestinians as if they were confident that Israel could do it all along.

A US official told reporters, “It’s fair to say that the Israelis have updated their plans. They’ve incorporated many of the concerns that we have expressed.”

The official also acknowledged that the Rafah operation may give Israel leverage and “opportunities for getting the hostage deal back on track.”

Biden Administrationgazan civiliansRafah