On Sunday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told ABC’s “This Week” that any attempt by Israel to launch a military operation on the southern Gazan city of Rafah would be “a huge mistake,” because she has “studied the maps.”
In the interview, Harris told Rachel Scott that the Biden White House is “ruling out nothing,” in terms of an official reaction if the offensive takes place.
The criticism comes two days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken made similar demands of Jerusalem.
The municipality, on the border with Egypt, reportedly has 1.4 million individuals currently residing in it.
The Israeli government maintains that the last organized units from the Hamas terrorist organization are garrisoned in the area, and that a major assault is needed in order to eradicate the militants. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has assured his country’s allies that any attack will be preceded by an evacuation of the civilians in the area.
Earlier this month, White House representatives told Politico that the administration was not ruling out placing restrictive conditions on weapons transfers to the Jewish state if Netanyahu goes forward with his plans.
The Vice President's remarks come as many prominent members of her party are calling for a policy of restraint by the IDF as they finish five-months of fighting.
On Friday, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called for the elimination of military assistance to Israel while accusing the IDF of committing ‘genocide’ by blocking humanitarian aid for the area's non-combatants. Spokespersons for the Israeli government have strongly denied similar claims and have stated that there are no limits on the number of life-supporting resources that can be imported into the costal enclave.
Also on Sunday, Georgia Senator Ralph Warnock, called any incursion in to Rafah “morally unjustifiable,” while comparing the experiences of the Palestinian people to the history of discrimination against black Americans.
Related Story: Biden Administration Continues to Object to Israeli Operations in Rafah
