US Official: Israeli Withdrawal From Talks An "Overreaction"

Reuters carrying comments from a US official following Israel's decision to cancel a security delegation which was scheduled to meet with US interagency counterparts to discuss US proposals for removing Hamas from Gaza without an IDF ground invasion of Rafah.

• The official says the US, "is perplexed by Israeli response to US abstaining at the UN Security Council since there is no change of US policy."
• The official says Israel's withdrawal from talks is, "an overreaction," and says President Biden does not plan to call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "right now nor did Netanyahu call the president."
• The official says an Israeli offensive in Rafah, "does not appear imminent, there is still time to work things out with US," and states that domestic political tensions in Israel as, "possibly responsible for Netanyahu's decision."
• The comments have been supported by US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller,speaking to reporters presently, who says that the Israeli decision is "surprising" and reiterates that an operation in Rafah would be a "mistake."
• Miller says that the civilian harm from a Rafah operation would be "immense," and "this type of invasion would weaken Israel's security," and "undermine [Israel's] standing in the world."
• Miller says, "I'm sure we will find other ways to make our concerns known to the Israeli government at very senior levels."