Friday Briefing

Israeli military vehicles near the border with Gaza.Credit…Abir Sultan/EPA, via Shutterstock

Breach grows between Israel and the U.S.

As a rift between two longstanding allies widens, Israeli leaders said that they would not be deterred by President Biden’s threat to withhold arms shipments if the military launched a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where about a million Palestinians are sheltering. An Israeli military spokesman said his nation had enough munitions on hand to proceed with its plans.

High-level talks in Cairo aimed at reaching a cease-fire and a hostage deal were put on hold, according to officials, who said that anger had flared among participants over Israel’s seizure of the Rafah border crossing. Midlevel Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. officials remained in Cairo, but the Hamas and Israeli delegations both left yesterday, Hamas and Israeli officials said.

Analysis: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel faces a bind, as he is increasingly caught between international calls for a cease-fire and right-wing Israeli demands to proceed with the invasion.

Quotable: Netanyahu, while not responding directly to Biden, also struck a defiant tone. “If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone,” he said.

In other news:

• Satellite images of Rafah, taken after Israeli forces had entered the city, show widespread damage and clusters of Israeli armored vehicles.

• Amid a 45-day shutdown order by Israel, Al Jazeera said it would continue reporting and broadcasting from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The network has played a major role in amplifying stories of suffering in Gaza, heightening global outrage at Israel’s conduct.