Biden Urges Netanyahu to Shield Rafah Civilians in an Attack

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A resident rides a horse-pulled cart along a street ravaged by Israeli bombing in Rafah on Feb. 9.Photographer: Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images

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By Gwen Ackerman and Akayla Gardner

February 11, 2024 at 4:07 PM UTC

Updated on

February 11, 2024 at 8:46 PM UTC

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President Joe Biden urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shield civilians in Gaza from an Israeli military operation in the southern city of Rafah, saying it shouldn’t proceed without a “credible and executable plan” for their safety and support.

The White House readout after a phone call between Biden and the Israeli leader followed pledges by Netanyahu in two US television interviews earlier Sunday that Israel will have a plan, including directing civilians northward in the Gaza Strip to get them out of harm’s way.