The Biden administration has reportedly offered Israel intelligence on the whereabouts of Hamas leaders in tunnels underneath Gaza — if Israel ends its ongoing attack on the last Hamas stronghold in the Gaza town of Rafah.
The Washington Post reported on Saturday: “The Biden administration, working urgently to stave off a full-scale Israeli invasion of Rafah, is offering Israel valuable assistance if it holds back, including sensitive intelligence to help the Israeli military pinpoint the location of Hamas leaders and find the group’s hidden tunnels, according to four people familiar with the U.S. offers.”
The offer puzzled observers, who wondered why the Biden administration did not simply give Israel the intelligence needed to find the Hamas leaders, especially as five Americans are still hostage.
The Biden administration has insisted since February that Israel should not attack Hamas in Rafah, suggesting that there are other ways to remove the Hamas leaders from Gaza. The administration has never said what those ways are.
Biden recently paused certain arms shipments to Israel, including heavy bombs and artillery, as a statement of opposition to Israel’s operation in Rafah. Israel sees the operation as necessary to win the war and prevent Hamas from returning to power in Gaza.
Supporters of Israel in the United States have also argued that if Hamas survives, terror groups will be emboldened around the world, and will step up attacks on the U.S. and other countries.
