“The Attack on Iran’s IRGC Leaders in Damascus and the Iranian Attack on Israel: An Iranian View,” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 5-12-24.

It is hard to believe the reports out of Washington on 5-12, that the U.S. will withhold intelligence if Israel invades broadly in Rafah.  Already Pres. Biden and Sec. Blinken and NSA Sullivan are indefinitely holding smart bombs from being send to Israel to be used against the Iran-backed Hamas.  What is instead accurate is what Sen. Tom Cotton, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, says regarding the State Department report “was very clear: there is no evidence that Israel is violating international law.”  [speaking of whether Israel is using U.S. weapons against civilians].  He said Israel “is doing more than any military in history to prevent civilian casualties.”  See “Blinken: Israel offensive on Rafah would not eliminate Hamas,” AFP, 5-12-24.  That the Administration does not understand how the 1,200 killed in only half a day by Hamas compares with the 35,000 killed (about half of them Hamas) over seven months is also worth noting in light of Cotton’s broadly-accepted views.

The Biden administration reportedly also says it can give information on locations of secret tunnels in Gaza used by Hamas as an incentive to Israel not to enter Gaza’s southernmost city.  What?  And the Administration is said offering intel on Hamas leaders’ whereabouts if Israel drops its planned major Rafah op.  What?  Israel can’t respond to Hamas and Iran this way, nor would any other country.  See “US said offering intel on Hamas leaders’ whereabouts if Israel drops major Rafah op,” Times of Israel, 5-12-24.