White House: US Officials Hope to Open Rafah Crossing Today

White House spokesperson John Kirby indicated that "White House officials hope to possibly open the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt for a few hours later today, Monday, to allow some individuals to leave the area before the expected Israeli ground assault." In an interview with CNN, Kirby stated, "It remains closed at this time." He continued, "We hope it will be open later today for several hours. But again, we can only wait and see how things will unfold," referencing the "shattered hopes of opening the crossing at the beginning of the week." Kirby added, "We will continue to work on this matter very seriously." The United States has urged its citizens in Gaza to head to the crossing. The U.S. government estimates the number of American citizens of Palestinian descent in Gaza to be between 500 and 600.