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Excerpt from arabcenterdc.org
Hamas’s May 6 acceptance of a hostage deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar was surely designed to induce the White House to pressure Israel to produce a counteroffer, perhaps opening the door to a ceasefire. President Joe Biden’s forceful announcement on May 8 that the United States will not deliver 3,500 heavy ordnance bombs to Israel if it launches a full-scale invasion of Rafah— combined with CIA Chief William Burns’s trip to Jerusalem for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—underscore the high stakes facing the administration. A full Israeli incursion into Rafah might not just trigger the wider regional conflict that the White House has worked hard to prevent. It could also undercut Biden’s ambitious bid to secure a new defense pact with Saudi Arabia.
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