Israeli leaders declared on Thursday that they would not be deterred by President Biden’s threat to withhold more arms shipments if the military launched a major assault on densely populated areas of Rafah. Their comments made clear the widening rift between Israel and the United States over the war and the prospect of a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where about a million Palestinians are sheltering. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while not responding directly to Mr. Biden, also struck a defiant tone. “If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone,” he said.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/09/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-rafah-biden.html