Jake Sullivan urges Israel to align military actions in Gaza with a political strategy, emphasizing U.S. support amid frustrations and withheld weapons.
President Biden’s national security adviser emphasized on Monday that while the U.S. remains committed to Israel’s defense, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has yet to present the White House with a plan for safely relocating nearly a million Gazans from Rafah before any potential invasion.
In an extensive briefing, Jake Sullivan highlighted that Israel still needs to “connect their military operations” to a political strategy for the future governance of Palestinian territory.
Sullivan, central to the administration’s response to the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, detailed objectives aimed at achieving a cease-fire and securing the return of hostages, including Americans held by Hamas. Despite expressing support for Israel, Sullivan conveyed President Biden’s frustration after several heated exchanges with Netanyahu.
Sullivan clarified that the U.S. is withholding only 2,000-pound bombs from Israel, fearing they could cause massive civilian casualties if used to target Hamas leaders in Rafah’s tunnels. The U.S. continues to provide defensive weapons and offensive arms that minimize civilian risk.
“We still believe it would be a mistake to launch a major military operation into the heart of Rafah that would put huge numbers of civilians at risk without a clear strategic gain,” Sullivan stated. He reaffirmed that certain offensive weapons would not be supplied for such an operation.
House Republicans plan to introduce a bill rebuking Biden for pausing the shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs. Although symbolic, as it is unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, it aims to position Republicans as staunch supporters of Israel and highlight internal Democratic divisions over arms sales to Israel.
Representative Michael McCaul criticized Biden’s decision as a “disastrous policy” concealed from Congress and the public.
Sullivan mentioned ongoing discussions with Israel about alternatives to a full-scale invasion of Rafah, focusing on targeted counterterrorism operations akin to Israel’s response to the Munich Olympics terror attack in 1972.
While Sullivan did not comment on reports that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had left Rafah, he noted that if true, the rationale for attacking the city diminished.
He criticized Israel’s lack of a post-war governance plan for Gaza, stating, “We’re talking to Israel about how to connect their military operations to a clear strategic end game, about a holistic, integrated strategy to ensure the lasting defeat of Hamas and a better alternative future for Gaza and for the Palestinian people.”
Sullivan pointed out that areas in the North previously bombed have seen Hamas’s return, indicating a need for military actions to be tied to a credible governance plan to avoid similar outcomes in Rafah and other regions.
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