Gaza update: Biden ups the pressure on Israel as deadline for Rafah assault approaches

By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

Joe Biden’s most senior Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, has arrived in Israel to push for a deal to halt the war in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. McGurk has served each successive president since joining George W. Bush’s national security team in 2005, and his presence in the region at this increasingly crucial time, as Israel prepares for a ground assault on the overcrowded southern Gaza city of Rafah, is an indication of the urgency with which the Biden administration views the situation.

Thus far, intransigence on both sides has scuppered various…

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