WASHINGTON, May 10. /TASS/. The White House is reluctant to provide material support for Israel's operation in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, but continues to work with the Jewish state to improve its strategy to combat the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

"What the President [Biden] made clear on CNN is that we do not want to provide material support to such an operation [in Rafah], she said at a briefing aboard Biden’s place on the way to San Francisco.

"The President has directed his team with continuing to work with Israel to refine their strategy to inflict an enduring defeat on Hamas. Smashing into Rafah, in his view, will not advance that objective," she explained.

Earlier, Biden said in an interview with CNN that the United States would stop supplying weapons to Israel if its army entered Rafah in the Gaza Strip.