US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Israel tonight (between Wednesday and Thursday) for the fourth time since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War. The purpose of the visit, as reported, is to persuade Israel to extend the lull in the fighting against Hamas, with the goal of releasing more abductees from the Gaza Strip.
Biden after the release of hostages: "This is just the beginning" // Photo: Reuters
Moreover, another goal the Americans are aiming at during the current visit is the reestablishment of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip as well, the day after the collapse of the Hamas regime.
The Goal: American Understanding and Backing
Against the background of the visit, and in order to fully understand the overarching goal, we spoke with Brigadier General Yossi Kuperwasser, director of the research department of the Security Movement and former head of the research division at Military Intelligence, and director general of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs.
Does the U.S. want almost no civilian casualties?
"The Americans' position at the moment is vague, and it seems that they do not oppose the continuation of the fighting, but rather aspire to keep civilian casualties to a minimum," explains Yossi Kuperwasser.
The joint fighting of Oketz Unit fighters and dogs in the Gaza Strip, photo: IDF Spokesperson
Regarding the form of fighting in the Gaza Strip and the American desire for surgical warfare, he explains that "the Americans are really afraid of a humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip. There is very heavy pressure on them, strong elements in the Democratic Party are pressuring President Biden and Blinken on this issue, as well as many Arab countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Qatar and others."
So the Americans are afraid of continued fighting? Do they want the fire to stop?
"No, they are in favor of the fighting and it is clear to them that Hamas must be removed, but because of the enormous pressure, it is important for them to make sure that difficult pictures never come out of Gaza."
"Problematic images will not only harm Israel but also the United States, which supports the fighting. The U.S. is perceived as someone whose green light allows Israel significant fighting, and therefore the Americans want their international standing not to be harmed by a civilian disaster."
A house damaged in Gaza village, Photo: AP
Kuperwasser adds that Israel should increasingly strengthen American support by exposing them to more harsh videos from what happened on October 7 and by exposing Hamas' cynical exploitation of Gaza's civilians as human shields.
"In order to further strengthen Biden and Blinken's support for what Israel is doing, we must continue to expose them to Hamas' ISIS activities. The fact that their weapons and combat depots exist in schools where children study, that there are warehouses in mosques where people come to pray, that UNRWA offices are also used for fighting, and more."
"We must show that Hamas forced the residents not to leave the IDF's combat zones and they managed to evacuate only because Israel opened a humanitarian corridor for them."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tours with Elon Musk in the village of Gaza, photo: Amos Ben-Gershom / GPO
One of the most important reasons for screening the videos and providing these testimonies stems from the fact that the Americans are very detached from what is happening in the Middle East and do not fully understand the evil of Hamas. Kuperwasser explains that "it is very important that they understand where we live, what intensity of evil we are facing."
"Elon Musk understood this more after the prime minister's tour of the communities near Gaza," he says. "After the tour, Musk spoke for the first time with harsh bluntness against Hamas. This evil must be demonstrated again and again to the American administration so that it will be clear to them that Hamas must be completely eradicated from the Gaza Strip."
The changes that the PA needs to undergo
Kuperwasser referred to the American desire to restore PA rule to the Gaza Strip, noting that "because the Americans want the PA to enter and control Gaza, we have to explain to them the changes it needs to undergo in order to truly become a trustworthy entity."
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, photo: AP.
"The Palestinian Authority must want to fight terrorism and act decisively, and it is enough that after the transfer of Gaza into its hands, another terrorist organization will not arise again to take over the Gaza Strip," Kuperwasser explains. "In addition, the PA needs to stop paying terrorists who are in prison for their terrorist activity, it needs to stop educating against Israel and it needs to change its narrative here regarding us."
Kuperwasser also addressed American concern and concern for the residents of the Gaza Strip, noting that "Israel also has a strong desire not to harm people who are not involved in Hamas activity. We are acting according to the laws of war and are even more cautious in protecting civilians, even before American concern."
Is there a solution for this?
"We need to leverage the concern for pressure on Qatar and Egypt to advance two possible solutions that will reduce their fears. The first solution is that Hamas stops fighting, releases the abductees and leaves the Gaza Strip by agreement. Such an exit under Qatari pressure on Hamas leaders will prevent the need to continue the fighting and protect the civilians of Gaza."
Gaza residents on the humanitarian axis, photo: None
"The second solution is to exert pressure on el-Sisi, who will absorb the residents of the Gaza Strip for a while, until the end of the fighting. Such absorption will also prevent harm to innocent people. At the moment, however, it is very difficult to see Hamas agreeing to either the first solution or the second, and it is also hard to see Qatar and Egypt joining such a move. It seems that Israel will have to complete the work with minimal harm to civilians."
What will be a significant victory picture for Israel? Killing Sinwar, for example?
"Our picture of victory is the return of the residents of the envelope to their homes, a vote of confidence by the communities in the envelope in the country so that they will not be afraid to return home, and this has nothing to do with Sinwar."
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