Acting against one’s own security interests is not peculiar to Israel. The United States believed it needed to protect itself by fighting in Vietnam and Iraq. Russia insisted on fighting in Afghanistan. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and in the process midwifed Hezbollah, now one of its great enemies.

White House and U.S. intelligence officials doubt that Hamas can be fully defeated and worry that a Rafah invasion will frustrate attempts at a peace deal.

Israel defended the military necessity of its Gaza offensive on Friday at the International Court of Justice and asked judges to throw out a request by South Africa to order it to halt operations in Rafah and withdraw from the Palestinian territory.

The court is already considering a case brought by South Africa in January accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has rejected the claim a

Lawyers urge international court of justice to issue urgent measures over assault on Gaza’s southernmost city

The House delivered a rebuke to President Biden for pausing a shipment of bombs to Israel, passing legislation that seeks to force the weapons transfer as Republicans worked to highlight Democratic divisions over the Israel-Hamas war.

The bill would coerce Biden to continue sending arms to Israel or else lose funding for the Pentagon and Department of State.

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would force President Joe Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments as he urges Israel to do more to protect civilians during its war with Hamas.