Top Biden adviser due in Egypt, Israel for talks on Rafah ground attack

JERUSALEM

US President Joe Biden's Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, is scheduled to visit Egypt and Israel this week as part of a diplomatic mission.

McGurk's talks in Cairo and Tel Aviv will focus on a potential Israeli ground attack in Rafah, the prospects of a prisoner exchange deal, and the pursuit of a cease-fire in Gaza, Axios news website reported.

According to the website, the White House is worried about the planned Israeli offensive in Rafah, an area densely populated with over 1.4 million Palestinians, many of whom have been displaced from other parts of Gaza.

"The US and Egypt also fear that such an operation could push tens of thousands of Palestinians across the Egyptian border into the Sinai Peninsula," it added.

Cairo has already warned the displacement of Palestinians to Egypt would lead to a rupture in its relations with Israel.

McGurk is expected to meet with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and other senior officials on Wednesday, Axios said, citing Israeli and US officials.

"McGurk's conversations in both Egypt and Israel will focus on Rafah and the hostage negotiations," officials said.

There has been no official confirmation yet from the US or Israel.

Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Egypt early Tuesday for talks with Egyptian officials on the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas demands an end to Israel’s offensive in Gaza in return for any hostage deal with Israel.

Hamas is believed to be holding more than 130 Israeli hostages following its Oct. 7 cross-border attack into Israel.

Israel has since pounded the Gaza Strip. The ensuing Israeli attacks have killed nearly 29,195 and injured about 69,170 with mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while less than 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Ankara