US denies Netanyahu's Rafah claims

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron met in Washington DC, the capital of the US. The ministers held a joint press conference following the meeting.

In his statement, Cameron touched upon the military operation Israel plans to conduct in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, saying that the UK is evaluating humanitarian aid options in the event of a "conflict" in Rafah.

He stated that the UK needs to work on a "Plan B" for Rafah if a ceasefire cannot be reached between Israel and Hamas. Stating that they are working very hard to deliver aid to Gaza, Cameron said, "We want to see 500 aid trucks a day.

We want to see the water turned back on. We want to see Ashdod and a crossing point in the north open. We need to see deconfliction. Getting aid into Gaza is not enough,” he said.

"THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN A SINGLE DAY SINCE OCTOBER 7"

Blinken, in his statement, expressed that Israel has committed to "significantly increasing" the supply of humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip, noting that Israel has also taken some "initial steps" to fulfill these commitments. 

Stating that the US is addressing "a series of critical things" that need to happen in the coming days, including opening an entry point in the north to deliver aid to Gaza, using the Port of Ashdod "regularly," and maximizing the flow of aid from Jordan, Blinken said, “Yesterday, more than 400 trucks were allowed to enter Gaza, which is the highest number in a single day since October 7.”

Blinken stated that the US continues to work closely with Qatar and Egypt to reach a ceasefire agreement.

"WE ARE DOING IT IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT ENDANGER INNOCENTS"

Explaining that discussions with Israel regarding Rafah are ongoing, Blinken stated that he could meet with Israeli officials next week. Blinken said, "We do not have a date for a Rafah operation. On the contrary, our discussions with Israel are ongoing.

The President has been very clear about our concerns regarding Israel's ability to move civilians out of harm's way, to care for them, and to conduct any major military operation without harming civilians. We are talking to them about alternative and, in our view, effective ways to solve a problem that needs to be solved, but we are doing it in a way that does not endanger innocents,” he said.

News Source: İHA