President Joe Biden publicly stated for the first time that he would withhold weapons from Israel if Israeli forces launched a major invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza. This announcement came as negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza continued in Cairo. Biden emphasized his administration's concern for civilian protection in Rafah and acknowledged civilian casualties caused by U.S.-supplied bombs during Israel's offensive against Hamas.

Biden's remarks represent a significant escalation of pressure on Israel to avoid a large-scale assault on Rafah, where many Palestinians have sought refuge. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had indicated that the Rafah operation would proceed, citing the presence of Hamas fighters in the area.

The U.S., which is Israel's largest weapons supplier, paused the delivery of certain bombs to Israel due to concerns about civilian safety in Gaza. This decision was criticized by Israel's U.N. ambassador but was not expected to halt overall arms support.

Meanwhile, talks in Cairo involving Hamas, Israel, the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar were underway. Hamas declared it would not make further concessions to Israel in the negotiations. The talks aimed to reach a ceasefire agreement that includes the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees.

The situation in Rafah remained tense, with reports of clashes between Hamas and Israeli forces. The United Nations warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe if Israel escalated its incursion into Rafah, exacerbating existing shortages of essential supplies like food, water, and medicine in Gaza.