Fetterman on support for Rafah capture: 'I follow Israel on that'
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) on Tuesday doubled down on his support for Israel shortly after the nation's forces seized control of Gaza's Rafah border crossing, where more than 1 million civilians are being housed amid the ongoing war.
Asked on Fox News if he supports Israel going into Rafah, Fetterman said, "Well, I follow Israel on that. I mean they would know the situation more than I do."
"And I'm always trying to center this to people, where it's like Hamas could ... Well, they started this," Fetterman continued Tuesday. "They did these kinds of terrible things. And this could end right now if they send all those hostages back home, and they could surrender ... but they clearly don't care about all the Palestinians' death and chaos and damage."
His remarks came hours after Israel began rolling military tanks into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where a critical border crossing is located for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Biden administration and other Western leaders tried to sway Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu away from a full-scale invasion in recent weeks, arguing it would risk civilian lives and the delivery of crucial aid.
White House national security communications adviser John Kirby on Tuesday said the U.S. is closely monitoring Israel's actions in Rafah, while noting they did not rise to the level of a full-scale military operation U.S. officials warned against.
Netanyahu maintained that military operations in Rafah will increase pressure on Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Fetterman on Tuesday argued Israel is taking precautions to protect civilian lives.
"Israel actually cares about minimizing these civilian deaths. But Hamas sees that as just their own kinds of collateral damage," he said.
"Israel is in this kind of a war. And we — I have no conditions. I never have. And I can't imagine I ever will," he said in an earlier remark.
Israel told about 100,000 residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate on Monday, and UNRWA, the United Nations's agency that supplies food and medicine for civilians, said it intends to stay in Rafah despite Israel's incursion.
Fetterman, who is serving his first term in the Senate, has been a steadfast supporter of Israel since Hamas's Oct. 7 attacks, often breaking with liberal Democrats over Israel's handling of the war.
He has been a staunch critic of the ongoing pro-Palestinian college demonstrations happening at college campuses across the country, accusing them of "working against peace in the Middle East." He also called them "pup tents" for Hamas in a separate interview.
Speaking with Fox News on Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Democrat suggested the protesters do not understand exactly what they are advocating for.
"If you ask them, they're not really sure. They can't — and now they're not talking about cease-fires anymore. And now they're talking about divesting and harming Israel on that. It's crazy," he told Fox News anchor Bret Baier.
"And Hamas is convinced that they have won the PR war, and they keep seeing all these kinds of protests across the nation [on] these campuses. And it's not helpful, but it's actually — it works against peace, I think," he continued.
The U.S., along with Egypt and Qatar, has spent weeks working on a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas that would see the release of Israeli hostages. Hamas on Monday said it accepted an offer for a temporary cease-fire, but Israel said the group's terms fell short of its core demands.
The White House on Tuesday pushed for the finalization of the agreement, despite Israel's seizing of the Rafah border crossing.
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Invading Rafah Doesn’t Help Israel
Biden is supporting Israel by trying to restrain it.The New York Times - Top stories - Israel -
Ocasio-Cortez hits back at Fetterman: 'I stand up to bullies'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) hit back at Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) following his derisive comments on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing Thursday night that erupted in chaos and was littered with insults. “In the ...The Hill - Politics -
South Africa calls on ICJ to order Israel to end Rafah offensive
Lawyers urge international court of justice to issue urgent measures over assault on Gaza’s southernmost city. South Africa has asked the international court of justice (ICJ) to urgently order Israel to end its assault on Rafah, halt its military ...The Guardian - World - Israel -
ICJ Hears Arguments from South Africa on Israel’s Rafah Offensive
South Africa asked the court to order Israel to immediately withdraw from the southern Gaza city, where more than a million Palestinians had sought shelter from the war.The New York Times - World - Israel -
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Fighting in Rafah has closed off a vital border crossing in southern Gaza, forced hundreds of thousands to flee and cut off humanitarian aid.The New York Times - World - Israel -
At ICJ Hearing, Israel Defends Rafah Operation as ‘Limited and Localized’
Lawyers for Israel argued that the International Court of Justice should not grant a South African request to order an immediate halt to the ground assault in Rafah.The New York Times - World - Israel -
UN top court opens 2 days of hearings on Israel's military actions in Rafah
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Middle East Crisis: Israel Says It Will Send More Troops to Rafah, Defying International Pressure
“This operation will continue,” the defense minister said after meeting with commanders in the area.The New York Times - World - Israel -
The Latest | Israel says it will send more troops to Rafah, as fighting also rages in Gaza's north
Israel’s defense minister says the military will send more troops into Rafah, a city along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, as fighting also rages in northern Gaza, where Hamas has regroupedABC News - World - Israel -
At least 20 U.S. medics trapped in Gaza after Israel closes Rafah crossing
A group of American doctors who are stuck in Gaza say they were scheduled to leave Monday, but were told there was no longer a safe way out. CBS News foreign correspondent Imtiaz Tyab reports.CBS News - Top stories - Israel
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