The White House announced that face-to-face talks regarding a ceasefire agreement in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages have concluded without reaching an agreement, but the United States believes that it is still possible to bridge the remaining gaps. John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, stated at a press conference that the United States is concerned about the Israeli operation in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza and wants the Rafah crossing to be reopened immediately.
The United States reiterated its concerns on Friday regarding the Israeli assault on Rafah but did not expect any "major" operations, expressing its commitment to the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement. The National Security Council spokesperson told reporters, "We are certainly monitoring (the operation) with concern, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that what we’ve seen here in the last 24 hours signifies a large or extensive ground operation, or that it indicates that."
President Joe Biden warned of halting the supply of certain weapons to Israel should it launch a large-scale attack on Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge.
