Sullivan's Meeting with Netanyahu; US Seeks to Keep Israeli Operations in Rafah 'Focused'

Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor of the White House, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, May 30. This visit comes as the US is trying to encourage Jerusalem to conduct a limited and focused operation instead of a full-scale attack on Rafah. According to Reuters, during their meeting, Israeli planes and tanks continued to bombard various areas of Gaza. The White House had previously stated that Sullivan is expected to pressure Israel to pursue Hamas militants in a targeted manner rather than through a full-scale assault on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. The US has warned Israel about the rising number of Palestinian civilian casualties. Before traveling to Israel, Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday. Israel has launched an attack on a city that it claims is the last stronghold of Hamas forces. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled this area, which is one of their few remaining shelters. Residents of Gaza report that Israeli forces also advanced into the narrow alleys of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Saturday night and Sunday, returning to an area they had previously claimed to have cleared. The Israeli army stated that its operation in Jabalia, which is the largest camp among the eight historical refugee camps in Gaza, is 'precise' and aims to prevent Hamas from re-establishing control over this camp. The Israeli army said it is 'conducting operations to identify armed terrorist cells and... carrying out dozens of attacks to assist' ground forces active in the Jabalia area. Before the Sunday talks, an Israeli official said that Benjamin Netanyahu and his senior aides would try to reach an agreement with Sullivan regarding the need to advance operations in Rafah. This official noted that Israel also expresses concern about the dozens of underground tunnels its forces have found in Rafah that lead to Egypt. The official pointed out that the significant evacuation of civilians from Rafah demonstrated that removing civilians from Rafah is not only necessary but also feasible.