The US State Department on Monday said that it is not Washington's assessment that Israeli airstrikes in Rafah are the launch of a full-scale offensive in the area, where people have been sheltering with the rest of the enclave in ruins and nowhere left to run.US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that without a credible plan that Israel can execute, Washington would not support a full-scale military operation in Rafah going ahead, adding that he does not think cutting US aid to Israel would be a more impactful step than what Washington has done so far.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met on Monday with the troops who participated in the rescue operation that freed the two hostages and congratulated them on the impressive results. "This is a turning point - Hamas is penetrable and understands that we can reach anywhere, with any force. You have allowed the citizens of Israel breathing space - the day will not be far away, and there will be more operations," he said.