Yoav Gallant
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a situational assessment meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other officials.
Washington and its allies believe a major attack on Israel by Iran has become a matter of when, not if.
The new crossing will help expedite deliveries from overseas, but also from neighboring Jordan.
The U.S. secretary of state also told Israel not to make mistakes anymore and to enact changes “quickly” and sustainably “over time.”
Senior U.S. officials believe that political considerations are at play in the pronouncement.
The defense chiefs also discussed “ongoing threats posed by Iranian aggression...[and] scenarios involving regional escalation.”
The IDF’s Humanitarian Coordination and Deconfliction Cell was established following the accidental deaths of seven aid workers in Gaza.
The defense minister spoke after an assessment held with IDF generals.
The U.S. Secretary of Defense said the tragic incident “reinforced the expressed concern over a potential Israeli military operation in Rafah,” and called for a swift investigation with full accountability.
“A war would be a difficult challenge for the State of Israel—however, it would be a catastrophe for Hezbollah and Lebanon,” the defense minister said.
Hamas has ceased to function as a terror group in “most parts” of the Gaza Strip, the defense minister said.
The plan includes a joint U.S.-Israeli Gaza operations center and targeted raids on Hamas in the city.
