On Friday, media reported, citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, that the war cabinet had approved the start of a military operation in Rafah and the Israel Defense Forces was preparing to evacuate local civilians.
Such discussions are taking place in an atmosphere of growing concern on the part of the US administration and disappointment of Democrats in Congress due to the fact that calls from US President Joe Biden were ignored by the Israeli government, the report said.
"Time and again, President Biden calls upon the Netanyahu government to take certain actions, and for the most part, time and again, Netanyahu ignores the president of the United States. And so I think that makes the United States look ineffective," Senator Chris Van Hollen was quoted as saying by the broadcaster.
Washington recommended that Israel avoid conducting a full-scale military operation in Rafah and instead carry out smaller and targeted counterterrorism actions, the report added.
"We have been clear about the need to prioritize civilian protection," a spokesperson for the US National Security Council was quoted as saying by the broadcaster.
On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 31,500 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.