Three US officials told Axios that President Joe Biden and “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be put on a “collision course” if “Israel” keeps pressing on and invades the border city of Rafah, Gaza - which houses 1.8 million displaced Palestinians.

 

An “Israeli” operation in the city of Rafah could lead to a shift in the United States’ policy, including an end to the defense of Israel at the United Nations and restrictions on the use of US weapons by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in Gaza - per Axios.

 

Biden, on Saturday, warned “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a Rafah offensive would be a “red line” adding that they “cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead.”

 

He reiterated his position that “Israel” must have a viable plan to evacuate the overwhelming displaced population of the city before the operation starts.

 

Netanyahu, on the other hand, said that he intends to go ahead with the attack and flouted Biden’s red line, saying, “I have a red line. You know what the red line is? That October 7 doesn't happen again. Never happens again."

 

"We'll go [to Rafah]. We're not going to leave [the captives]. You know,” he added.

 

Biden and Netanyahu’s relationship have gone downhill since the start of the events of Oct. 7, and the pair haven’t spoken since their last phone call almost a month ago on Feb. 15.

 

"If Netanyahu decides to defy Biden and go for such an operation it will be a showdown," a senior US official said.