Israel has taken US concerns into account as it wages military operations in the Gaza city of Rafah, which is packed with refugees, a senior United States official said on Tuesday, AFP reports.

“It’s fair to say, I think the Israelis have updated their plans. They’ve incorporated many of the concerns that we have expressed,” the official told reporters.

“This is an ongoing discussion, ongoing conversation. It’s been constructive,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The person was referring to talks that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had with senior Israeli officials last weekend in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“What matters is what actually happens,” the official said. “We don’t greenlight Israeli operations. It’s not our role.” President Joe Biden has said publicly he does not want Israel to wage a major ground offensive in Rafah, which is in the far south of the Gaza Strip and packed with Palestinians displaced by the war between Israel and Hamas.

Opinion

Editorial

New regional order
Updated 11 May, 2026

New regional order

The fact is that the US has only one true security commitment in the Middle East — Israel.
A better start
11 May, 2026

A better start

THE first 1,000 days of a child’s life often shape decades to come. In Pakistan, where chronic malnutrition has...
Widening gap
11 May, 2026

Widening gap

PAKISTAN’S monthly trade deficit ballooned to $4.07bn last month, its highest level since June 2022, further...
Momentary relief
Updated 10 May, 2026

Momentary relief

THE IMF’s approval of the latest review of Pakistan’s ongoing Fund programme comes at a moment of growing global...
India’s global shame
10 May, 2026

India’s global shame

INDIA’s rabid streak is at an all-time high. Prejudice is now an organised movement to erase religious freedoms ...
Aurat March restrictions
Updated 10 May, 2026

Aurat March restrictions

The message could not have been clearer: women may gather, but only if they remain politically harmless.