The Biden administration has reportedly offered Israel intelligence on the whereabouts of Hamas leaders in tunnels underneath Gaza, in exchange for Israel ending its ongoing attack on the last Hamas stronghold in the Gaza town of Rafah. The Washington Post reported that the Biden administration is offering valuable assistance to Israel to prevent a full-scale invasion of Rafah, including sensitive intelligence to help locate Hamas leaders and hidden tunnels.
Observers were puzzled by the offer, questioning why the Biden administration did not simply provide the intelligence needed to find the Hamas leaders, especially since five Americans are still held hostage by Hamas. The Biden administration has been urging Israel not to attack Hamas in Rafah since February, suggesting that there are alternative ways to address the situation without military intervention.
However, Biden recently halted certain arms shipments to Israel, including heavy bombs and artillery, to express opposition to Israel’s operation in Rafah. Supporters of Israel in the United States argue that allowing Hamas to survive could embolden terror groups worldwide and lead to increased attacks on the U.S. and other countries.
Joel B. Pollak, Senior Editor-at-Large at Truth Voices, hosts Truth Voices Sunday and has authored books on various topics. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
