2023-12-14 20:34:22
During his visit to Israel, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed the duration of the war on Gaza, amid reports that he called for the intensive phase to end within weeks, not months, while CNN indicated “unprecedented” tensions between the White House and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin. Netanyahu.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Thursday evening that Washington wants Israel to move from the current intense phase to a less intense phase as soon as possible.
He added that Sullivan asked the Israelis to be more precise in their military operations to spare civilians from the consequences of war.
The spokesman reiterated that Washington does not support a sustainable ceasefire, but wants more humanitarian truces to bring aid into Gaza and rescue the hostages, as he put it.
Kirby stated that US President Joe Biden still believes in the two-state solution, but added that the matter has become far-fetched in light of the attack of last October 7, in reference to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood launched by the Palestinian resistance.
In other statements he made earlier in the day, Kirby said that Washington does not impose conditions on Israel regarding the duration of the war, but wants it to end it as soon as possible.
He added that the United States is working to achieve a short truce in Gaza because there are fears of long truces as they are in the interest of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
For the 69th day, the Israeli occupation army continues its devastating war on Gaza, which as of Thursday evening has left 18,787 martyrs and 50,897 wounded, according to the Ministry of Health in the Strip.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office said that Netanyahu thanked Sullivan for American support in the war, and informed him that Israel would continue fighting until victory over Hamas.
Biden and Sullivan’s vision
However, Axios quoted American and Israeli officials as saying that Sullivan informed Netanyahu and members of the war cabinet that they must move to the next, less severe phase within weeks, not months.
The Israeli official told Axios that Sullivan did not push for an end to the fighting but expressed concern regarding the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and civilian casualties.
At the same time, the New York Times quoted American officials as saying that the Biden administration understands that Israel’s efforts to pursue Hamas leaders will continue for several months, but the president wants to end the extensive Israeli campaign within 3 weeks.
For its part, the US State Department said that “it is up to the Israelis regarding how long the military operation will take,” but added that American officials are engaged in talks with their Israeli counterparts in this regard, and that Washington does not want the conflict to continue longer than necessary, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, the American media reported on the risks that the war might pose to the image of the United States and its leadership at the global level, in addition to the potential repercussions on President Biden himself.
CNN spoke of “unprecedented tensions” between the White House and Netanyahu, amid Biden’s feeling of the political cost of standing by Israel, according to the network.
She added that Sullivan’s trip to Israel is an indication that Tel Aviv did not take into account Blinken’s warnings regarding protecting civilians.
The network said that Washington’s global leadership “is in danger of receiving a severe blow because of its support for Israel.”
The US National Security Advisor is discussing in Tel Aviv setting a timetable for ending the war in the Gaza Strip #GazaThe House of Representatives agrees to open an official investigation to impeach the president #Biden
The news is in a story with #brief#Gaza_War pic.twitter.com/uQgmIi1JmY– Al Jazeera Channel (@AJArabic) December 14, 2023
American fears
In the same context, NBC quoted a US intelligence source as saying that Netanyahu has an incentive to prolong the war in an attempt to protect his political survival, and that he may turn his personal problems into a “regional nightmare.”
The channel also quoted American and Western officials as saying that Israel does not have a coherent position or political plan following the end of the war on Gaza.
On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal quoted Israeli officials as saying that they are following criticism from Democrats in the United States regarding the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza, and that they fear losing American popular support.
The officials told the newspaper that Israeli leaders expressed their fears for weeks that the Biden administration would stop communicating with the Israelis publicly.
Regarding Israeli public opinion, a poll conducted by Maariv newspaper showed that 43% of Israelis do not approve of Netanyahu’s actions with the United States regarding the management of the war, compared to 36% who believe that his method is appropriate.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies + American press + Israeli press
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#AmericanIsraeli #conflict #duration #war #Gaza #fears #regional #nightmare #News
