White House Pushes Israel to De-Escalate Operations in Gaza

National security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House on April 24, 2023. Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Joe Biden is asking Israel to reduce the intensity of operations against the terrorist organization Hamas in the near future, according to the White House.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan is in Israel to convey this message, White House spokesperson John Kirby said during a White House briefing on Dec. 14. His visit comes as tensions between the United States and Israel have risen over the conflict and the future of the Palestinian people.

Mr. Sullivan met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Dec. 14 to discuss the war’s progress and the possibility of shifting to lower-intensity operations, according to Mr. Kirby.

“He did talk about possible transitioning from what we would call high-intensity operations, which is what we’re seeing them do now, to lower-intensity operations sometime in the near future,” Mr. Kirby said.

“But I don’t want to put a timestamp on it. I think you can understand that the last thing we’d want to do is telegraph to Hamas what they’re likely to face in coming weeks and months.”

The White House is pressing Israel to abandon airstrikes and ground assaults in Gaza and instead adopt a longer-term, targeted, intelligence-driven campaign.

When asked if he wants Israel to scale back its operations in Gaza by the end of the year, President Biden said, “I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives, not stop going after Hamas but be more careful.”

According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 18,000 civilians have been killed during Israel’s ongoing military campaign.

Israel’s fight is intended to destroy Hamas in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack, during which Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and killed more than 1,200 Israelis. Hamas also took nearly 240 people hostage, 100 of whom were released during a seven-day truce in November.

Mr. Netanyahu has pushed back against criticism, pledging to keep fighting against Hamas.

“Nothing will stop us. We are going on to the end, until victory, nothing less,” he said on Dec. 13 amid international criticism of his government, including from his closest ally, President Biden.

Recently, a public rift has arisen between President Biden and the Israeli prime minister because of the increasing number of civilian casualties in Gaza and differing views on the future of the Palestinian people when military operations conclude. President Biden has reaffirmed U.S. support for a two-state solution, calling for separate Israeli and Palestinian states.

President Biden has recently said that Mr. Netanyahu’s government is losing support across the world because of the “indiscriminate” bombing of Gaza.

“Bibi has got a tough decision to make,” President Biden said on Dec. 12 at a campaign reception, referring to Mr. Netanyahu.

“He’s a good friend, but I think he has to change—with this government. This government in Israel is making it very difficult for him to move,” he said, implying that the current government is opposed to a two-state solution.

Following these remarks, the White House tried to walk back President Biden’s statements regarding the need for a government change.

“It’s not for us to dictate terms to a foreign sovereign government. Israel is a democracy. And the Israeli people get to decide what that government looks like. And they did. And we respect that. That’s what democracy is all about. We’re not dictating terms to the Israelis one way or another,” Mr. Kirby said on Dec. 13.

Harris at Odds With Biden?

Meanwhile, recent media reports have suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris is at odds with President Biden over the Israel–Hamas conflict, pressing the White House to be more sympathetic to Palestinians.

Ms. Harris has told colleagues in the administration that she wants the White House to openly express concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Politico reported, citing anonymous people familiar with the vice president’s comments.

However, Kirsten Allen, Ms. Harris’s press secretary, has refuted the allegations on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating that “there is no daylight between the president and the vice president, nor has there been.”

She added that “media should be cautious and discerning about including anonymous ’sources’ who are not privy to their private conversations.”

Mr. Kirby also pushed back against the notion that President Biden and Ms. Harris are at odds.

“Last I looked, the vice president is part of the White House. She’s part of the team,” he said. “And if she wasn’t offering her advice and counsel to the president on innumerable issues, that would be a story. Her job is to provide advice and counsel to the president.”