Israelis are ready to fight with their "fingernails" if the US proceeds in withdrawing arms supplies over its planned operation in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
US President Joe Biden has said his administration cannot support a major invasion of Rafah in the absence of what it deemed a credible plan to safeguard civilians, fearing it would exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
Following reports Washington was holding back a shipment of aerial bombs, Biden went public with the measure on Wednesday, saying it was part of a US warning to the Israelis not to "go into Rafah".
In a video statement on Thursday, Netanyahu indicated Israel may proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally.
“If we must stand alone, we shall stand alone,” he said.
"If we must, we shall fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than our fingernails, and with that strength of spirit, with God's help, together we shall be victorious."
Israel has said victory in its seven-month-old conflict with Gaza impossible without taking the southern city of Rafah.It says thousands of Hamas fighters and potentially dozens of the hostages they seized in its October 7 attack are ensconced in Rafah, which also holds more than a million war-displaced Palestinians.
Israel's long-threatened move against the city began this week with the evacuation of some civilians followed by limited incursions.
Netanyahu added in an interview on US television that he hopes he and Biden can overcome their disagreements over the Gaza war.
"We often had our agreements but we've had our disagreements. We've been able to overcome them," Netanyahu said on the Dr Phil Primetime show.
"I hope we can overcome them now, but we will do what we have to do to protect our country," he said.
The conservative prime minister's comments in the video statement were echoed by the other two voting members of his war cabinet - Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and centrist former Defence Minister Benny Gantz - although none said explicitly that a deeper sweep of Rafah would be ordered.
"I turn to Israel's enemies as well as to our best of friends and say - the State of Israel cannot be subdued," Gallant said in a speech.
"We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals - we will hit Hamas, we will hit (Lebanon's) Hezbollah, and we will achieve security."
Gantz voiced appreciation for what the Israeli military has described as unprecedented US support and supplies in the war.
"Israel has a duty, in terms of national security and morality, to keep fighting in order to return our hostages and end the Hamas threat against southern Israel," he said on X.
"And the United States has a moral and strategic duty to extend to Israel the tools that are necessary for this mission."
In parallel to the public dispute, the United States has been trying to shepherd along Egyptian- and Qatari-mediated talks between Israel and Hamas that would free some hostages.
Those have stumbled on Hamas' demand for an end to the Gaza war. Israel is willing to enter a ceasefire only. Negotiators on Thursday left the latest meetings in Cairo without a deal, and Israel said it would proceed with its planned Rafah operation.
The chief Israeli military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said in a briefing that the armed forces had sufficient munitions for Rafah "and other operations that are planned".
