**Washington Post**: The U.S. administration has decided to supply Israel with a new arms deal that includes 1,800 bombs, each weighing about 1,000 kg, as well as fighter jets including F-35 aircraft.
Israeli officials are continuing to speak about an imminent military operation in the border city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli media reported that senior Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, have already discussed the army's plans related to the ground operation in Rafah with U.S. officials. Observers believe that the United States does not oppose the idea of a military operation in Rafah but has reservations only about its execution, wanting to prevent further civilian casualties during the fighting. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported on Saturday evening that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown discussed a U.S. proposal for that operation with Halevi. This phone conversation coincided with Defense Minister Galant's visit to the United States. Brown did not oppose conducting a military operation in Rafah but stated, "We will not accept the killing of more innocent people in Rafah as occurred in Gaza and Khan Younis." The authority reported, citing political sources, that "the United States wants to conduct professional talks with Israeli military leaders."
In the same context, Channel 14 of the Broadcasting Authority cited a political official familiar with the preparations for the Rafah operation stating that the decision to launch the operation has indeed been made, and it is now a matter of arrangements and timing. The official said, "There will be movement in Rafah, and this is a final decision." When asked about the delay in executing this operation, he said, "The reason for the delay is not related to negotiations with Hamas but to operational reasons that cannot be detailed for oversight reasons." He added, "We will be in Gaza, Rafah, Khan Younis, and the entire Gaza Strip for years."
**Destructive Bombs and Fighters**
The **Washington Post** reported on Saturday that the U.S. administration decided to supply Israel with a new arms deal that includes smart bombs of the MK type, totaling more than 1,800 bombs weighing around 1,000 kilograms each, along with another 500 bombs of the same type weighing 250 kilograms, as well as fighter jets including F-35s. The newspaper valued the deal at two and a half billion dollars. The U.S. decision regarding this deal was a culmination of a visit made by the Israeli Defense Minister last week. The **Washington Post** noted that the 2000-pound bombs capable of flattening residential buildings have not been used by Western armies in densely populated areas due to their devastating impact on civilians.
Analysts believe that the recent U.S.-Israeli disagreement is not about conducting more ground operations, including the Rafah operation, but rather about establishing clear operational plans, as well as ensuring that the United States appears as a defender of civilians in front of U.S. and global public opinion. Suleiman Bisharat, director of the Yaboos Center for Studies, stated, "The United States and the Biden administration do not support the war on the Gaza Strip; rather, they are a key partner in it, providing political, diplomatic, and military cover for Israel to carry on with this war." According to Bisharat, the apparent disagreements between the United States and Israel represent merely variations in viewpoints, not reaching the level of a fundamental dispute. He added in remarks to the Arab World News Agency (AWP), "The disagreement is about how to execute the military operation in Rafah, not a rejection of the continuation of the war."
Bisharat sees the new military support from the U.S. to Israel as one of the "fruits of Yoav Galant's visit to the United States."
**Media Campaign for Military Plans**
Bisharat believes that the United States is attempting to manage matters publicly, aiming to present itself to Americans as opposing ground operations in Gaza, particularly with the presidential elections approaching, where Biden competes against Republican candidate Donald Trump. He added, "What is happening relates to an internal American situation, not out of concern for Palestinian civilians." Ayham Yusuf, a political science professor at the Arab American University in Palestine, expressed a similar opinion, stating, "Israel is an American interest, and thus the United States will not allow it to be defeated in this war." Yusuf pointed to two paths: the first pertains to media and diplomacy, related to the Biden administration's need for Arab and Muslim votes in the United States, thus presenting this discourse urging to avoid civilian casualties and mediating to complete a prisoner exchange deal; the second concerns the ongoing partnership between Israel and the U.S. regarding all that is happening in Gaza. He continued, "There must be a separation between the tension in the relationship between Biden and Netanyahu on one hand and the structural relationship and partnership between Israel and the United States on the other hand." Yusuf believes there is a green light from the U.S. to carry out a ground operation in Rafah, but based on U.S. standards.
