Israel has decided to scale back its plans for a major offensive in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city of Rafah.

A previous plan to send two military divisions into the city will no longer go ahead, and operations will instead be more restrained, according to reports.

The US has indicated that it is initially satisfied with the changes, as they believe the new military plans will result in fewer civilian casualties, said a senior Biden administration official on Tuesday.

It comes after months of the US vehemently opposing a Rafah assault, warning that there was no way to complete the mission while also protecting the 1.3 million Palestinians trapped in the city.

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