Biden's national security advisor to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel amid Rafah invasion: Report

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden's national security advisor will head to Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend as Tel Aviv continues to pound the southern Gaza city of Rafah where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge, according to a report Tuesday.

Jake Sullivan's trip, as reported by online news website Axios, comes as the White House continues to dissuade Israel from a "major ground operation" in Rafah even as Israeli forces expand evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the enclave.

Commenting on the ongoing invasion, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said, "So far it does not appear it does not appear to be a major ground operation."

"We have been worrying about that. We've been very clear about that," she told reporters.

She would not confirm Sullivan's travel.

But Axios, citing a US official, said the Biden administration "reached an understanding" with Israel that the operation would not be expanded before Sullivan's visit. Washington hopes to extend the commitment until after a high-level, in-person meeting between Israeli and American delegations following Sullivan's visit, it added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has scoffed at international pressure, including from the US, to refrain from carrying out his land invasion of Rafah. He has said his forces will proceed "with or without" a cease-fire deal with Hamas.

The trip is also being billed as an effort to move forward with plans to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Sullivan was initially scheduled to visit the Kingdom in April, but the trip was called off at the last minute because the senior Biden administration official broke a rib.