US made its views on Rafah operation clear to Israel, State Department says

The United States has made its views clear to Israel on a major ground invasion of Rafah, a State Department spokesperson said, in Washington's first response since Israeli forces seized control of Gaza's border crossing with Egypt.

"We continue to believe that a hostage deal is in the best interest of the Israeli and the Palestinian people; it would bring an immediate ceasefire and allow increased humanitarian assistance into Gaza," the spokesperson told Reuters.