In a virtual meeting held on Monday, top U.S. and Israeli officials engaged in a heated discussion regarding Israel's proposed plans for a ground invasion of Rafah in Gaza. The meeting grew contentious as American officials pushed back on Israel's proposal to evacuate Palestinian civilians sheltering in the area, according to two U.S. officials and one former U.S. official familiar with the matter.

Israel's Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, strongly defended the plan, reportedly raising his voice and gesturing passionately. However, the American officials, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, remained composed and did not respond in kind.

According to the officials, Israel presented a plan to relocate 1.4 million civilians from Rafah to tents that would be set up north of the city over several weeks. However, the Israeli proposal lacked adequate provisions for sanitation needs and did not address the amount of food or water required, nor the sourcing for the hundreds of thousands of tents that would be needed.

When U.S. officials voiced their skepticism about the feasibility of the proposed plan, the Israeli officials reacted strongly, causing further tension during the meeting. However, two administration officials noted that Dermer's passionate demeanor in meetings with U.S. officials is not uncommon and described the overall meeting as no more contentious than recent conversations between the two governments.

Despite the disagreements, the meeting was considered productive and was designed to initiate a process of ongoing discussions between the U.S. and Israel regarding alternative strategies for Israel's war against Hamas, rather than a detailed presentation of plans.

Specific details about an actual ground invasion of Rafah were not extensively discussed in the meeting. However, it is anticipated that these plans will be addressed in more detail during another meeting scheduled to take place next week between the U.S. and Israeli officials.

Both the National Security Council spokesperson and Israeli officials declined to comment immediately following the meeting.

The virtual meeting was convened after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled an in-person meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington. Netanyahu's decision was seen as a demonstration of his dissatisfaction with the U.S.'s choice to abstain from voting on, rather than veto, a United Nations Security Council resolution concerning the conflict in Gaza.

With tensions persisting, the next round of discussions holds the promise of further exploring and negotiating strategies that could guide Israel's actions in its ongoing conflict with Hamas.