Last updated: 15.01.2024, 09:24 a.m.
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How will the Gaza Strip be administered after the end of the war? The U.S. and Israel are at odds over this. © Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
The U.S. has been supporting Israel in its fight against the Islamist Hamas since the beginning of the war, including with arms deliveries. But behind the scenes, tensions are growing between the tours.
Washington/Tel Aviv/Gaza - More than three months after the start of the Gaza war, there are signs of growing frustration on the part of the United States with Israel's conduct of the war. For weeks, Washington has been urging Israel to move from an intense period of heavy bombing to more targeted strikes against the Islamist Hamas.
Asked whether the U.S. should put more pressure on Israel, U.S. National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby said on CBS's "Face the Nation," "We believe it's time to make that transition."
Washington pushes for transition
During US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Israel, Kirby said on Sunday (local time) that "we talked intensively about the transition to low-intensity operations". In the meantime, Israel has "taken preparatory steps to reach this point." For example, the army is withdrawing some troops and relying "a little less on air strikes." However, Kirby added, "We believe it's time to make that transition. And we've had those conversations with them."
U.S. President Joe Biden is "increasingly frustrated" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rejection of most of the U.S. government's recent requests related to the war in the Gaza Strip, Axios reported, citing four U.S. officials. According to Biden and his advisers, Israel is not doing enough in terms of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. They are also frustrated by Netanyahu's rejection of the US plan for the post-war period and the power of Hamas.
Future of the Gaza Strip
The U.S. wants a reformed Palestinian Authority to take control of the coastal area after the war. Netanyahu rejects this. He wants the army to maintain security control even after the war and calls for the demilitarization of Gaza. "At every opportunity, Netanyahu has given Biden the finger," Axios quoted Senator Chris Van Hollen of Biden's Democratic Party as saying. "They plead with the Netanyahu coalition, but keep getting a slap in the face." A U.S. official told the portal: "There is a lot of frustration."
The Washington Post, citing several government officials, wrote that Israel had made it clear in recent talks that it would continue its high-intensity military operation throughout January. The Biden administration, Israel's closest ally and most important arms supplier, does not appear to be able or unwilling to exert any meaningful influence on how the Israeli military conducts the war. Dpa