TEL AVIV: The United States and Israel were due to hold a virtual meeting Monday on the planned offensive in Gaza's Rafah, a week after Israel called off a delegation's visit to Washington.
Tensions have risen between Israel and its chief backer the United States over the heavy civilian death toll in Gaza, and especially over Israeli plans to send ground forces into Gaza's crowded far-southern city of Rafah.
Israel had agreed to send a delegation to Washington for discussions on the plans, but cancelled the trip after the United States failed to veto a UN Security Council ceasefire call, abstaining instead.
"The meeting is scheduled for today. It will be online. There may be a meeting in person later this week," said an Israeli source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A US official confirmed the virtual meeting, adding that "we anticipate follow-up meetings in person following additional work by expert teams."
US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have been pushing for a ceasefire and captives release deal, but Hamas official Osama Hamdan said "there is no talk so far about any new round of negotiations".
UN agencies and humanitarian aid groups have warned that many of Gaza's 2.4 million people are on the brink of famine, and donor countries have sporadically trucked in and airdropped food.
A second ship carrying relief goods via the Mediterranean was near Gaza's coast on Monday, according to website Vesselfinder.com, days after leaving Cyprus.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- whose office said he underwent a "successful" hernia operation Sunday -- has vowed to destroy Palestinian groups, including in Gaza's far-southern city of Rafah. The premier was "in good shape and beginning to recover", his office said in a statement.
Netanyahu is under rising pressure from the hostages' families and supporters as well as anti-government protesters, whose nightly street rallies have gathered pace and drawn many thousands onto the streets.
The right-wing premier has also been at odds with Israel's top ally the United States, which has objected to his plans to invade Rafah because the city is crowded with about 1.5 million people.
After Netanyahu earlier cancelled an Israeli government delegation's visit to Washington to discuss the Rafah operation, a meeting is set for Monday via video conference, an Israeli source said.
"There may be a meeting in person later this week," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. — AFP
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