Report: US not expected to oppose Rafah operation

Israeli leaders have reached final consensus on an operation in Rafah - and the US is not expected to oppose it, the Washington Post's David Ignatius reported.

According to Ignatius, instead of a heavy attack with two divisions, Israel will conduct a more limited attack, which US officials believe will result in fewer civilian casualties. It is for this reason that the US is not likely to oppose the Rafah strike.

US officials also believe that about 800,000 of the 1.5 million Gazans in Rafah have evacuated the area.

Ignatius also noted that "Hamas will retain a presence in Gaza," and that the terror group has chosen to "melt into the population as a guerrilla force" instead of fighting the IDF in open warfare. Israel therefore plans to continue conducting antiterror raids in Gaza, where the status quo may become like that in Judea and Samaria.

The article also confirmed that Israel's plans for "the day after" include a Gazan security force drawn from the Palestinian Authority's system, which will be overseen by "a governing council of Palestinian notables" and backed by moderate Arab states. Israel is divided on whether this entity should have ties in Ramallah.

Meanwhile, Hamas has confirmed that this entity could be part of a "transitional agreement" included in a ceasefire-prisoner swap deal.

According to Ignatius, US officials believe that talks on such a deal could resume as early as this week.