AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "NewsHour."

Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu# said his country would -- quote -- "st.. if necessary," a response# to President Biden's recent## move to pause deliveries of some bombs to Israel.

That decision has created a possible turning# point in the U.S.-Israel relationship and## the war in Gaza, with the fate of# hostage negotiations in the balance.

Israel is now poised to# expand its operation in Rafah,## a step the U.S. is warning Netanyahu not to take.

Nick Schifrin begins our coverage.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In Southern Israel, tanks# are massed and nearly ready for an assault.## They fire at Rafah, where ongoing airstrikes# ripped the roofs off homes, toppled minarets,## and killed victims who are so easy to# carry, the burden becomes all the heavier.

And President Biden is concerned an# expanded military operation would## kill more Gazans, like Yazan Hassan Mohana (ph).

JOE BIDEN, President of the United# States: Civilians have been killed in Gaza## as a consequence of those bombs and other ways# in which they go after population centers.

And I made it clear that, if they go into Rafah# -- they haven't gone into Rafah yet.

If they go## into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that# have been used historically to deal with Rafah.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But Hamas fights from# Rafah, including with mortars that## last weekend killed four Israeli soldiers# and blocked humanitarian aid.

Israel is## determined to eliminate Hamas' final four# battalions no matter what the U.S. says,## Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Israeli Prime Minister# (through translator): If we need to stand## alone, we will stand alone.

I# have said that.. we will fight with fingernails.

But# we have much more than fingernails.## And with that same strength of spirit,# with God's help, together, we will win.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The fighting has forced# some 80,000 Gazans, many already displaced,## to flee Rafah.

The main hospital# is closed, its rooms abandoned.

Humanitarian aid shelves are nearly bare.

And# fuel trucks are stuck in Egypt.

There's only## one to two days of fuel left since Israel seized# and closed the border, the U.N. said this week.

DR. MICHAEL J. RYAN, World Health Organization:# The first act is to stop the fuel, stop the food,## stop the medicine at source, at the border.# I don't call that limited, and I don't call## that restricted.

I call that a reimposition of# total blockade on nearly 2.5 million civilians.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The fate of# Rafah is connected to the## fate of Israeli hostages.

Every night# their families march through Tel Aviv,## demanding the government accept a deal that# would pause the war to release their loved ones.

Today, National Security Communications# Adviser John Kirby said the U.S. shares## Israel's strategic goal of an enduring# defeat of Hamas, but said it disagreed with## how to achieve it.

Smashing into Rafah,# Kirby said, will not get Israel there.

And, Amna, he also said it's unacceptable# that the Rafah Crossing is not open.

AMNA NAWAZ: Nick, you mentioned there in your# report how the fate of Rafah is intertwined## with the fate of those hostages still held in# Gaza.

What's the status of those negotiations?

NICK SCHIFRIN: CIA Director Bill Burns,## who has been leading these# negotiations, has left the region.

But U.S. officials tell me that that does# not mean the negotiations have stopped.

But## there's clearly a difference between the U.S.# and Israel on how those negotiations should## proceed.

Israel has argued that President Biden's# decision about pausing some weapons deliveries## and making that decision public actually# strengthens Hamas' negotiating position.

But Kirby today argued that a major operation# by Israel in Rafah would actually strengthen## Hamas' negotiation position, because he said that# operation would show that Israel is not interested## in actually achieving a cease-fire-for-hostage# deal, and it would cause more civilian casualties,## therefore putting more diplomatic# and international pressure on Israel.

But it's all coming to a head.

Israel said# the end of this week is the deadline.

They## will launch that major operation in# Rafah if there is not a hostage deal.

AMNA NAWAZ: Nick Schifrin# beginning our coverage tonight.

Nick, thank you.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.