Security Cabinet votes to approve expanded operation in Rafah

On May 10th, according to foreign media reports, Israel's security cabinet voted last night to approve the expansion of the Israel Defense Forces' operation in Rafah. The expansion is considered limited, and Israel hopes it will not cross the line of what the United States considers a "large-scale operation". Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden warned that if certain Israeli offensive weapons enter population centers in Rafah, he will stop sending weapons to Israel out of concern for the more than one million civilians who have taken refuge there. Axios quoted two sources as saying that the expansion will be sufficiently restricted in order not to upset the Biden administration, while a third source warned that the move could be interpreted by the United States as going too far. According to Axios, the security cabinet also voted to direct the Israeli hostage negotiating team to continue efforts to reach a hostage agreement, making new proposals in the hope of achieving a breakthrough.