It's been a whiplash-inducing 36 hours in Washington.

Breakthrough or broke in Gaza? The prospect of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which had seemed possible during the weekend, ebbed away as Sunday turned to Monday. Then a moment, but one which soon evaporated.

So what's going on? When President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone late on Monday morning, hope for a deal, being hashed out thousands of miles away in the Qatari capital, Doha, seemed slim. Instead the focus was on what Mr Netanyahu planned to do with the troops he had ordered to amass in southern Israel just over the Israeli border fence from the Gazan city of Rafah.

Middle East latest: Follow live updates As Mr Netanyahu and Mr Biden spoke, leaflets were fluttering down over Rafah, telling the more than a million people there to leave, to head north to Israeli-self-declared safe zones. President Biden has repeatedly told the Israeli leadership America would not support a ground invasion of Rafah without a comprehensive and workable plan for the civilians - a plan that has not been forthcoming.

But over the past six months, we've all learnt American influence over its ally Israel has its limits. Even US military officials have questioned the logic of a massive ground invasion of such a heavily populated area.

They understand the basic military objectives of rooting out the remaining Hamas battalions hiding in Rafah. Yes, those fighters are hiding behind civilians, but shouldn't that give pause for thought rather than ploughing on regardless? Analysis: Peace in Gaza looks as distant as ever Military operation doomed to fail? The consequences of Israel's policy of flattening the cities north of Rafah are yet to be calculated.

Beyond the elusive concept of "total victory.