US believes Rafah operation would weaken Israel’s position in talks with Hamas, says State Dept

The United States believes a major military operation in Rafah would weaken Israel’s position in hostage talks with Palestinian militants Hamas, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday.

Washington continues to engage with Israel on amendments to a ceasefire proposal submitted by Hamas, Miller said, adding work was ongoing to finalize the text of an agreement but that work was “incredibly difficult.”