Karine Jean-Pierre, the spokesperson for the White House, told reporters that US-Israel discussions on alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah will likely take place early next week, Al Jazeera reports.

Biden asked Netanyahu to send a senior interagency team composed of military, intelligence and humanitarian officials to Washington, DC, she added.

Earlier, the Reuters and Associated Press news agencies reported that Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant will visit Washington, DC next week for talks with his US counterpart. US officials told the agencies that the defence leaders’s talks will be separate from the meetings on the planned Israeli offensive on Rafah.