Is Biden Really Against Israel’s Invasion of Rafah?

Israel’s looming invasion of Rafah has been condemned across the globe. Belgium has announced more sanctions against the Zionist state, while France has labeled the forced displacement of civilians from Rafah a war crime. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell urged Israel to call off the invasion, stating that “Israel’s evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable.” South Africa’s foreign ministry has stated it was “horrified” by Israel’s order to evacuate eastern Rafah.

Meanwhile, US President Biden has made a show of urging Netanyahu against invading Rafah, or expressing token concern, but the reality is that the US government continues its unconditional support of Israel every step of the way.

Since Israel announced its forcible displacement of Eastern Rafah early on May 6, Biden’s response has followed the classic formula: circulating stories about his disapproval of Netanyahu’s actions, but making no indication that official policy on Israel would change. Early on, the US expressed its supposed concern regarding the looming invasion of the last refuge for displaced Palestinians. However, privately, US officials told Politico under conditions of anonymity that there would be no US response or change in policy approach if Israel were to invade Rafah.

Israel previously set a pre-Ramadan deadline for the ground invasion, in which it threatened to launch ground attacks if hostages were not released by the beginning of the holiday. This threat was not fulfilled, but the zionist war makers never took the invasion off the table completely.

On April 23, Biden signed a bill into law which would send USD 26 billion to Israel as it continues to commit the crime of genocide in Gaza. Since October 7, the US has quietly flooded millions of dollars of arms into Israel despite mounting pressure from some US officials and the global Palestine solidarity movement.

The US government has also made moves throughout the past six months to silence all criticism of Israel, both inside and outside the country.

Amid reports that the International Criminal Court could issue arrests for top Israeli officials, a group of conservative US Senators have issued a bizarre warning to the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan.

“Target Israel and we will target you,” the senators threaten, warning that they will “sanction your employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States.”

Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill defining criticism of Israel as antisemitism. US police forces across the country continue to brutalize university students staging encampments or other forms of protest in solidarity with Gaza, deploying mace, flashbang grenades, rubber bullets, and lethal bullets.

Hamas accepts ceasefire deal

On May 6, Hamas accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal. In response, Netanyahu has said the deal does not meet Israel’s demands, but has agreed to send a delegation to Cairo to negotiate. According to a Reuters report, an unnamed Israeli official has said that the ceasefire proposal is not acceptable to Israel.

According to Hamas, the deal they agreed to includes a permanent ceasefire, reconstruction, and prisoner exchange between Hamas-held Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.

Al Jazeera reported that only hours earlier, Yoav Gallant told the families of hostages that Hamas had rejected proposals that would lead to the release of captives, and therefore invading Rafah was a necessity.

Families of Israeli hostages have reportedly blocked off major streets in Israel, demanding that their government accept the ceasefire deal.

Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has indicated his rejection of the ceasefire. “Hamas’ exercises and games have only one answer: an immediate order to occupy Rafah! Increasing military pressure, and continuing the complete defeat of Hamas, until its complete defeat,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X.

This puts the ball squarely in Israel’s court in terms of freeing Israeli hostages held in Gaza and ending aggression on the Strip.