以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡已经同意重新安排他的代表团在2011年12月15日之后访问白宫的时间他取消了周一的旅行一名美国官员周三告诉ABC新闻。
“总理办公室已同意重新安排专门讨论拉法的会议。我们现在正在努力寻找一个方便的日期，”这位官员告诉ABC新闻。
本周早些时候，在美国投了弃权票后，以色列退出了代表团联合国安理会将通过一项决议要求在穆斯林斋月剩下的日子里，加沙地带立即实行人道主义停火，停火时间可能会更长。
该决议呼吁无条件释放被哈马斯恐怖分子扣押的人质，但没有明确将其与临时停火联系起来。该决议进一步敦促人道主义暂停应导致“持久的可持续停火”。
白宫周一表示，对以色列取消代表团计划中的访美感到“失望”和“有点困惑”
白宫新闻秘书卡琳·让·皮埃尔证实，美国和以色列正在努力确定以色列代表团访问拉法的日期。
“我们正在努力确定一个日期。总理办公室同意重新安排这次会议，”她告诉美国广播公司的Selina Wang。
“我们正在努力召集...那次会议是关于拉法的重要会议。当我们有约会时，我们肯定会和你分享。”
在乔·拜登总统的几位内阁成员做出重新安排的决定后与以色列国防部长约夫·格兰特进行了“建设性的讨论”这位官员说，本周在华盛顿特区。
这位官员说，拉法是加沙南部与埃及接壤的城市，是与国家安全顾问杰克·沙利文、国务卿安东尼·布林肯、国防部长劳埃德·奥斯汀和中央情报局局长比尔·伯恩斯会晤时“讨论的众多话题之一”。
内塔尼亚胡说，如果以色列国防军不进入拉法消灭该恐怖组织的其余部队，对哈马斯的胜利是“不可能的”。
哈马斯于10月7日对以色列发动袭击，导致数月的冲突。
根据加沙哈马斯控制的卫生部的数据，自10月7日以来，加沙地带已有超过31，000人被以色列军队杀害。据以色列官员称，自10月7日以来，至少有1200人被哈马斯和其他巴勒斯坦武装分子杀害。
白宫表示，拜登“深切担忧”以色列不会采取足够措施防止平民伤亡，因为它正在追捕拉法的哈马斯战士。
以色列军方表示，计划在任何入侵之前，将居住在拉法的许多流离失所的巴勒斯坦人引导到该领土中心的“人道主义岛屿”。
Israel agrees to reschedule delegation visit to the White House: US official
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to reschedule his delegation's visit to the White House afterhe canceled the trip on Monday, a U.S. official told ABC News on Wednesday.
"The prime minister's office has agreed to reschedule the meeting dedicated to Rafah. We are now working to find a convenient date," the official told ABC News.
Israel pulled its delegation earlier this week after the U.S. allowed, through abstention, forthe U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolutiondemanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza for the remaining days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- and potentially longer.
The resolution called for the unconditional release of hostages being held by Hamas terrorists, though it did not explicitly tie that with a temporary cease-fire. The resolution further urged that the humanitarian pause should then lead "to a lasting sustainable ceasefire."
The White House said on Monday that it was "disappointed" and "kind of perplexed" that Israel canceled the delegation's planned visit to the U.S.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that the U.S. and Israel are working to set a date for the Israeli delegation's visit to discuss Rafah.
"We're working to set a date. The Prime Minister's Office agreed to reschedule this meeting," she told ABC's Selina Wang.
"We are working to convene ... that meeting, an important meeting on Rafah. And when we have a date, certainly we'll share that with you."
The decision to reschedule came after several members of President Joe Biden's Cabinetheld "constructive discussions" with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallantthis week in Washington, D.C., the official said.
The official said that Rafah, a city in the south of Gaza bordering Egypt, was "one of the many topics discussed" during meetings with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and CIA Director Bill Burns.
Netanyahu said that a victory against Hamas is "impossible" without the Israel Defense Forces entering Rafah to eliminate the rest of the terrorist group's battalions.
Hamas waged an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which has led to months of conflict.
In the Gaza Strip, more than 31,000 people have been killed by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health. In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed by Hamas and other Palestinian militants since Oct. 7, according to Israeli officials.
The White House has said Biden has "deep concerns" Israel will not do enough to prevent civilian casualties as it goes after Hamas fighters in Rafah.
The Israeli military said that it plans to direct many of the displaced Palestinians living in Rafah toward "humanitarian islands" in the center of the territory ahead of any invasion.
