Middle East Crisis: Israeli and U.S. Defense Ministers to Meet in Washington With Tensions High

For the increasingly tense relationship between the United States and Israel, the recent passage of a cease-fire resolution at the United Nations had immediate consequences. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would not be sending a high-level delegation to Washington for planned meetings with U.S. officials. The purpose of these meetings, requested by President Biden, was to discuss alternatives to an Israeli offensive into Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where over a million people are seeking refuge. American officials have expressed concerns that such an offensive would lead to a humanitarian disaster.