Biden speaks to Netanyahu amid cease-fire talks and evacuation of Rafah

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday morning as a potential ground assault in Rafah looms and as negotiations over a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel moved closer to an agreement.

A little while after their call, Hamas announced that it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal. Israel has not yet commented on the plan.

A White House readout of the call said Biden updated Netanyahu "on efforts to secure a hostage deal" including through talks happening Monday in the Qatari capital, Doha.

"The Prime Minister agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need. The President reiterated his clear position on Rafah," the White House said.

The two leaders discussed Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, which takes place Monday, the readout said.

Biden and Netanyahu “discussed the shared commitment of Israel and the United States to remember the six million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered in the Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters in human history, and to forcefully act against antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence,” the readout said.

Before the call, a National Security Council spokesperson said it would touch on possible military action in Rafah.

“We can’t speak for IDF operations," the spokesperson said. "We have made our views clear on a major ground invasion of Rafah to the Israeli government, and the President will speak with the Prime Minister today. We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages, and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering. Those talks are ongoing now.”

Cease-fire talks over the weekend appeared not to have yielded any breakthroughs. CIA Director William Burns was expected to travel to Israel on Monday for additional negotiations after having participated in discussions Sunday in Doha, a source with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.

Burns traveled to Doha for an emergency meeting with Qatar’s prime minister to explore avenues to see if the talks could be brought back on track after negotiations stalled in Cairo. The Israeli prime minister’s office blamed Hamas for "not moving a millimeter from its extreme demands that no government in Israel can accept."

Pressure has been mounting for a long-term cease-fire as Israel has made moves that signal a ground assault in Rafah could be imminent. Overnight, flyers were dropped on eastern Rafah calling on people thereto move to humanitarian areas, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The IDF estimated Sunday that 100,000 people from that area were told to evacuate.

Biden and his administration have warned Israel against launching a military offensive in Rafah. Last week, the White House halted a large shipment of offensive weapons to Israel, as the IDF is ramping up that possible ground invasion, according to two senior administration officials familiar with the decision.

The shipment included 2,000-pound bombs and other ammunition that would most likely be used in Rafah, the officials said. Israel already has a large arsenal, so while this shipment is not likely to stop an offensive, it could have been very helpful to it in one.

While the officials said this does not indicate a larger change in policy about providing weapons to Israel, it has been very rare for the U.S. to withhold weapons and equipment from Israel because of concerns over how they can be used.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Axios was first to report the shipment’s being halted.

A statement from a group representing families of the hostages held in Gaza urged Netanyahu to ignore any political pressure from far-right members of his government not to make a deal with Hamas.

“Today, on the eve of Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, we want to remind you, as you have promised every year — ‘Never Again.’ You must disregard all political pressure," said a statement from the Hostage Families Forum headquarters.

"This is the time to lead, show courage, and bring about the return of all 132 being held by the terrorist monsters of Hamas — the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial," it said. "Mr. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, history will not forgive you if you miss this opportunity, as the return of the hostages is a necessary condition for national healing, redemption, and revival.”