The Biden administration officials are advising Israel to stop its extensive ground and air offensive in the Gaza Strip within a few weeks. Instead, they suggest transitioning to a more targeted phase in the war against Hamas. President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with Israeli leaders on Thursday to discuss this. While Sullivan did not specify a timeline, U.S. officials have communicated that they want Israel to switch to more precise tactics in about three weeks. This timeframe has been made clear to Israeli counterparts as American patience with civilian casualties is running thin. President Biden emphasized the need for Israel to focus on saving civilian lives while still targeting Hamas.
The new phase proposed by the Americans involves smaller groups of elite forces carrying out more precise missions to find and eliminate Hamas leaders, rescue hostages, and destroy tunnels in Gaza’s population centers. Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, indicated that the campaign against Hamas would continue for several months, but the U.S. officials stated that this position is not in conflict with their proposed transition to more targeted operations. The American officials also emphasized that Sullivan did not directly order Israeli leaders to change tactics.
The conflict has raised challenges for Mr. Biden as he seeks to balance his support for Israel’s right to respond to attacks with the protection of civilians. The United States and Israel have also disagreed on who should control Gaza after the war. Despite these differences, the Biden administration has continued to support Israel’s right to respond to the Oct. 7 attack. It has also been suggested that Mr. Biden may potentially limit American bombs in civilian areas, which could impact Israel’s fight against Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that Israel will continue the war until all its goals are met and has expressed concerns about a wider regional conflict due to its military activity near the border with Lebanon. The conflict conditions have been described as catastrophic, with Philippe Lazzarini, the director of the United Nations agency for Palestinians, stating that conditions in the Gaza Strip are a “living hell.”
The United States and Israel are working through their differences and have presented different timelines, but both are committed to addressing the ongoing conflict. The U.S. administration’s efforts reflect a desire to protect civilians while allowing Israel to continue its operations against Hamas.