U.S. State Department spokesman Vedanth Patel told a briefing that the United States would not support the IDF operation in Rafah "without serious planning" and finding a solution for the more than one million civilians displaced from other areas of the Gaza Strip.

“To carry out such an operation now in an area where more than a million people are sheltered without planning would be a disaster,” he said.

Patel said Anthony Blinken made this clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their February 7 meeting.

When asked where a million people might be sheltering, given the fighting in other areas, Patel said, “This is a legitimate question that we think the Israelis should answer.”

He also noted that Washington does not see any evidence that Israel is seriously planning the operation in Rafah.