As of: March 27, 2024, 9:59 a.m
Comments
Press
Split
The US Department of Defense is rowing back: instead of a ground offensive, the situation in the Gaza Strip should be defused.
What the Biden administration is planning.
Washington DC - Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged Israel on Tuesday to abandon plans for a large-scale ground offensive against Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip, as the Biden administration seeks to address the worsening humanitarian crisis at a moment of acute tension between the United States and its closest ally in the Middle East.
Speaking with Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon, Austin stressed the need to avoid worsening the worsening "catastrophe" in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian civilians are facing hunger, disease amid Israel's military response to Hamas's bloody cross-border attack on October 7 and exposed to danger.
Criticism from the US Secretary of Defense: The number of victims is too high, humanitarian aid is too low
Echoing the exhortations that the Biden administration has been issuing for months, Austin said there is a "moral necessity and a strategic imperative" to protect civilians in the Hamas-controlled strip where, according to local authorities, the does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, more than 30,000 people were killed.
“The number of civilian casualties in Gaza today is far too high and humanitarian aid is far too low,” he added.
Read The Washington Post for free for four weeks
Your quality ticket from washingtonpost.com: Get exclusive research and 200+ stories free for four weeks.
Gallant's visit to Washington this week takes on added significance after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, angered by the U.S. decision to allow the passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, paid a high-level visit The delegation that President Biden had invited to talks about the planned Israeli operation in Rafah, a last Hamas stronghold, abruptly canceled.
That decision, which surprised U.S. officials, heightened already tense tensions between the Biden administration and the far-right Netanyahu government.
The two sides are at odds over Israel's settlement policy and rejection of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Clear strategy in the Gaza Strip: cripple Hamas' military strength and release hostages
Gallant, a political rival of Netanyahu who is part of a special Israeli war cabinet formed after the Oct. 7 attack, pointed to a variety of threats facing Israel, including the militant Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the need to strengthen Israel's military edge over its own to protect opponents.
My news
Baby happiness after the end of his career: Olympic ski champion becomes a father for the first time a few days after retirement
Bankruptcy of German industry giant: next traditional company goes bankrupt
After attack in Moscow: Putin ally Lukashenko accidentally torpedoes Ukraine claim read
“Technical problems” with the Leopard: Denmark points to Germany after bumpy Ukraine donation
1 hour ago
Prisoner escapes while being treated at the clinic - and is caught two days later after being tipped off
“That’s disrespectful”: Civil servants earn as little as citizens’ benefit recipients – and the traffic lights are watching
Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon.
© Ariel Hermoni/Israel Mod/Imago
The United States has delivered more than 100 weapons to Israel since the war began.
Later in the day, Gallant told reporters that the ground operations in Gaza had two goals: to disable Hamas' military capabilities and to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
On October 7, at least 1,200 people were killed and 253 were taken hostage.
Gallant said it was important to deter the common adversaries of Israel and the United States.
“Our enemies must know that this war will end with the destruction of the Hamas organization,” he told reporters.
He described the distribution of aid once it arrives in the Gaza Strip as the main humanitarian problem in Gaza, and blamed Hamas for these problems.
While U.S. officials have pointed to some progress in recent weeks, they have for months blamed Israel for its failure to get needed aid more effectively.
Insider reveals: Protecting the Palestinian civilian population is a priority
A senior Defense Department official who spoke to reporters after the meeting said the Biden administration supports Israel's goal of dismantling the remaining Hamas battalions in Rafah, but that the "search for an alternative approach" that protects Palestinian civilians has " really a priority.”
This person spoke on condition of anonymity to provide insight into the discussion between the two politicians.
Austin, who led counterinsurgency campaigns in the Middle East and Afghanistan as an Army general, has extensive experience fighting militant groups and helping the United States fight to avoid civilian casualties.
At least 8,000 civilians have likely been killed in the U.S. campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which began when Austin was the top military official for the Middle East, according to the watchdog group Airwars.
The Biden administration hopes to use these lessons to limit civilian deaths in Gaza.
The senior defense official declined to detail the alternative approaches the government is proposing to Israel, but pointed to the sequencing of humanitarian and military operations, improving security on Gaza's southern border with Egypt and "precise targeting “ on militant leaders.
He said discussions about the operation were continuing.
It was not clear whether the talks included detailed military plans.
The Gaza conflict has heightened debate over how far the United States must go to ensure that partners receiving arms and military support from the United States abide by international norms, including the laws of war.
The defense official declined to say whether the United States would condition military aid to Israel if the country did not comply with U.S. demands, but pointed to Israel's promise to abide by international law.
Together against Hamas: USA stands behind Israel
The conflict has also created political pressure, both for Netanyahu, who must demand the release of the remaining hostages, and for Biden, who faces criticism from Democratic Party ranks over the Palestinian deaths as he enters his second term.
Austin coupled his pleas with a reaffirmation of U.S. support for Israel and the goal of ensuring that Hamas cannot stage such violence again.
He noted that he has visited Israel twice since the Oct. 7 attack.
“The United States is Israel’s closest friend and that will not change,” Austin said.
Gallant, whom the defense official described as a "good friend" of Austin, met with national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday.
A meeting with CIA Director William J. Burns was expected on Tuesday.
Dan Lamothe and Alex Horton contributed to this report.
About the author
Missy Ryan
writes about national security and defense for The Washington Post.
She has worked for the Post since 2014 and has written about the Pentagon and the State Department.
She has reported from Iraq, Ukraine, Egypt, Libya, Lebanon, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Chile.
We are currently testing machine translations. This article was automatically translated from English into German.
This article was first published in English on March 27, 2024 at the “Washingtonpost.com” - as part of a cooperation, it is now also available in translation to readers of the IPPEN.MEDIA portals.