Report: USA in favor of ending Israeli ground offensive
Israel's allies are urging the country to show more consideration for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. According to a media report, the USA therefore wants the Netanyahu government to change its strategy to more targeted operations.
According to the White House, US President Joe Biden's security advisor has spoken to Israeli interlocutors about a lower intensity of combat operations in the Gaza Strip. There could be a corresponding transition in the near future, says Jake Sullivan. "But I don't want to put a timeline on it," he explains. The advisor does not provide any detailed information on what such a low-intensity military operation might look like.
The"New York Times" wants to know more in this case. Sullivan is said to have advised Israel to end the large-scale ground campaign in Gaza and move to a more targeted phase in its war against Hamas, American officials told the newspaper. Four American officials said Biden wants Israel to shift to more precise tactics within three weeks or shortly thereafter. They said Israel should adopt a more surgical strategy and use elite troops to kill Hamas leaders, free hostages and destroy tunnels.
The rift between the United States and Israel has widened in recent weeks over the issue of Israeli warfare against Hamas and a post-war settlement for the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, President Biden made his harshest criticism yet of Netanyahu's government, which he said had no interest in establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Biden added that Israel was gradually losing international support because of the "indiscriminate bombardment" of the Gaza Strip. The White House later played down Biden's comments. Spokesman John F. Kirby said that the president had merely expressed his concern about the increasing civilian casualties in this war.
The war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7. More than 1200 people were killed and around 240 hostages were taken to Gaza. Israel responded with massive air strikes and began a ground offensive at the end of October. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, around 18,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip so far.
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Following President Biden's call for a reduction in civilian casualties, US officials have reportedly urged Israel to transition from its large-scale ground campaign in the Gaza Strip to a more targeted phase against Hamas. According to the "New York Times", Biden wants Israel to shift to more precise tactics within three weeks, involving the use of elite troops to eliminate Hamas leaders, free hostages, and destroy tunnels.
Source: www.ntv.de
