White House will share alternatives to ground operation in Rafah with Israelis

The White House on Friday said it would share alternatives with Israeli officials on how to eliminate the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza without proceeding with a ground offensive in Rafah that Washington says would be a "disaster."

"There's a million-and-a-half people there," White House spokesperson John Kirby told a regular news briefing. "We believe a major ground offensive is a mistake" and would be a "disaster."

Kirby said U.S. officials would share possible options with Israeli officials when they visit Washington, and said more details on the visit would be released in coming days.