Biden Administration Sends Israel a Warning About Next Phase of Gaza Operation
As Israel turns its attention to clearing southern Gaza of Hamas terrorists, the Biden administration is calling for a kinder, gentler form of war.
During a news briefing on Monday, a senior administration official, who conducted the briefing on the grounds that he or she not be identified, said President Joe Biden and his aides have “reinforced in very clear language with the government of Israel” that the “conduct of the Israeli campaign, when it moves to the south, must be done in a way that is to a maximum extent not designed to produce significant further displacement of persons,” the Jewish News Service reported Tuesday.
“You cannot have the sort of scale of displacement that took place in the north, replicated in the south,” the official said, according to The Hill.
“What we are talking about are practical arrangements on the ground, multiple arrangements, what you might call areas of deconfliction,” the official said.
The concept would be that in those areas, “based on the best judgment of people there, or people who may wish to come there,” they “would not be subject to kinetic activity.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to troops: “When we return to fight, the strength will be greater, and will take place throughout the entire Strip.” pic.twitter.com/qrDtg2Y9ZX
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 27, 2023
The Biden administration official said Israel was “receptive” to the U.S. position, according to the JNS.
“There is an understanding that a different type of campaign has to be conducted in the south than was conducted in the north,” the official said.
The official said Gaza residents will not be forced to evacuate and will have options to take shelter if necessary
A second senior administration official said, “This is a very different concept than the one initially declared by Israel.”
According to The Hill, the first Biden official said the administration is not seeking to block Israel from the purpose for which it began the war on Hamas after 1,200 people were killed by the group’s terrorists on Oct. 7.
“To reiterate what you’ve already heard from the president, from other senior officials of the government, we want the objectives of this campaign, the elimination of Hamas as a governing, as a threatening force in Gaza and the threat to Israel, ended,” the official said.
But the official said that if Israel were to conduct its war in southern Gaza as it did in the north, “it will be beyond the capacity of any humanitarian support network, however reinforced, however robust to be able to cope with.”
The Israel Defense Force has stated that the Explosions and Gunfire reported last night in Northern Gaza were the result of a Coordinated Attack against IDF Troops at Two Locations which was a “Clear Violation of the Truce Agreement.”
During the Violations several Explosive… pic.twitter.com/LigpeKNPcf
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 28, 2023
National security adviser Jake Sullivan has said the Biden administration backs Israel’s continued effort against Hamas but wants to limit civilian casualties.
Sullivan said Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that Israel should “learn the lessons” of its war in the north and not move into the southern part of Gaza until it has a plan for protecting civilians.
“Israel is going to want to continue to conduct military operations against Hamas, particularly the leadership of Hamas that were the architects of this brutal, bloody massacre,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan says of the Oct. 7 attack. https://t.co/SNHbromx7j pic.twitter.com/xSVQQK7Etg
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 26, 2023
In another appearance Sunday, on ABC News’ “This Week,” he said, “Ultimately, Israel is going to want to continue to conduct military operations against Hamas, particularly [against] the leadership of Hamas, [who] were the architects of this brutal, bloody massacre — the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
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