On Monday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the US continues to oppose a full-scale invasion of Rafah.

Miller spoke with reporters after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a "date" had been set for an Israeli military operation in the southern Gazan city.

Since February, the US has warned an invasion of Rafah would unleash a humanitarian disaster. More than 1 million displaced people are sheltering in the city.

"We have made clear to Israel that we think a full-scale military invasion of Rafah would have an enormously harmful effect on those civilians and that it would ultimately hurt Israel's security," Miller said. 

The White House has said it has not seen signs a major ground operation is imminent in Rafah. 

"It's not just a question of Israel presenting a plan to us. We have made clear to them that we think that there is a better way to achieve what is a legitimate goal, which is to degrade and dismantle and defeat the Hamas battalions that still remain in Rafah," Miller said.

US President Joe Biden has previously said invading Rafah would be crossing a "red line."