The Biden administration is concerned that Israel is on the verge of launching a full-scale incursion into the city of Rafah in Gaza. Although Israel has not made a final decision yet, the US officials are concerned about the lack of preparations to evacuate over one million Gazans in the city. President Biden has warned Israel against such an offensive operation and threatened to withhold certain arms shipments if it were to proceed. The US questions Israel’s approach to the war and doubts its ability to achieve its goal of destroying Hamas and its leadership.
US officials have openly criticized Israel’s focus on a “total victory” approach and emphasized the need for a political solution to the conflict. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of potential dire consequences if Israel were to proceed with a major ground operation into Rafah. While the US believes Israel may not be able to completely destroy Hamas, it acknowledges that Israel has made significant progress in degrading its capabilities. The US is assisting Israel in targeting senior Hamas leaders, including providing intelligence assistance to track key figures.
The Biden administration continues to call for a temporary ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas. While they have not urged Israel to consider a permanent end to the fighting, they are pressuring Israel to focus on post-war plans for Gaza. However, Israel has shown a lack of interest in developing these plans, causing frustration among Biden advisers. Israel has not provided clear views on post-war governance and security oversight in Gaza, prompting calls from Blinken for greater engagement on this issue.
Israel’s reluctance to engage in post-war planning for Gaza has been a source of concern for the Biden administration. Despite ongoing efforts to develop critical plans for security, governance, and rebuilding, Israel has not contributed significantly to this process. Blinken has emphasized the need for Israel to take a more proactive role in developing a plan for post-war Gaza to ensure that Hamas cannot govern the region in the future. The US is urging Israel to focus on the long-term implications and consequences of the conflict in Gaza.
