Washington DC - The US said Monday it still opposed a major Israeli assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date for the attack was set.

President Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly called on Israel to present a plan to protect civilians in Rafah, where some 1.5 million Palestinians have taken shelter from the six-month-old war.

"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," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters when asked about Netanyahu's remarks.

"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.

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In a video statement Monday, Netanyahu did not say when the incursion into Rafah would start but said, "It will happen – there is a date."

Last week, Biden warned that US support for Israel was on the line unless Israel addresses humanitarian concerns after Israel killed seven aid workers in what its military called a mistake.

Miller praised some initial steps from Israel, including an increase in aid trucks entering Gaza and the establishment of a military unit to coordinate with humanitarian workers and avoid conflict.

"While we welcome these initial steps, it's crucial to recognize that much more needs to be done. Many Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, and every single man, woman, and child in Gaza is experiencing food insecurity," Miller said.

"We expect Israel to fully implement its commitments quickly, and we will we will be monitoring that implementation," he said.