Biden tells Netanyahu to 'not proceed' in Rafah without plan to protect civilians

President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to proceed with his planned operation in Rafah unless there's a plan to evacuate more than 1 million civilians there. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Biden pushed back on a planned military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling the Israeli leader that "a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there."

In a call with reporters, a senior administration official said there are 1.3 million people in Rafah now who have dire humanitarian needs and nowhere to go. They sought refuge there after they fled fighting in other parts of Gaza.