Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and head of the National Security Council Tzachi Hanegbi discussed Israel's planned offensive on Rafah with White House officials on Monday, in a secure video conference after their trip to the U.S. was canceled. The two are now scheduled to travel in the near- future.
Dermer and Netanyahu were originally planned to meet with administration officials at the request of U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss the progression in the Gaza war, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an offensive on Rafah will take place. Their visit was cancelled after the U.S. failed to veto a UN resolution calling for a cease-fire.
A joint statement released after the two-hour call said the Israeli and American officials agreed that Israel would take the U.S. concerns over a military operation in the city, into account.
White House Spokesperson Karin Jean Pierre said U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will lead the U.S. team in the talks. The White House demanded more information after they claimed they had learned of bodies found in the Shifa Hospital compound during the IDF's two-week operation there, adding that the administration was concerned over how Hamas had been able to reorganize inside the medical facility.