White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said he will speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about timetables for ending major combat in Gaza when he visits Israel later this week. Sullivan said he would be carrying President Joe Biden’s thoughts on the matter and would also be looking to hear from Netanyahu and Israeli officials on the issue. “The subject of how they are seeing the timetable of this war will certainly be on the agenda for my meetings,” Sullivan said Tuesday during an appearance at a forum hosted by the Wall Street Journal.
Quick Read
- Focus on Gaza Conflict Timetable: Jake Sullivan plans to discuss the timelines for ending major combat operations in Gaza with Netanyahu during his visit to Israel.
- Conveying Biden’s Thoughts: Sullivan will be sharing President Joe Biden’s perspectives on the conflict and seeking insights from Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.
- Nature of Military Operations: The talks are expected to cover the potential shift of Israeli military operations from high-intensity combat to more focused actions to achieve specific objectives.
- Continued Pressure on Hamas: Sullivan mentioned that even after scaling down operations, Israel might continue targeted actions against Hamas, including targeting its leadership and securing the release of hostages.
- Israel’s Control Over Gaza: Sullivan plans to address Netanyahu’s remarks about the Israel Defense Forces maintaining control over Gaza post-war and clarify the implications of such statements.
- U.S. Position on Gaza and Peace Talks: The Biden administration advocates against Israel reoccupying Gaza or reducing its territory. The U.S. supports the return of the Palestinian Authority and the resumption of peace negotiations for a two-state solution.
- Clarifying Netanyahu’s Comments: Sullivan aims to understand Netanyahu’s intentions behind his comments about post-war security control in Gaza, in light of various possible interpretations.
The Associated Press has the story:
Sullivan to meet Netanyahu in Israel for talks on ending major combat in Gaza
Newslooks- (AP)
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said he will speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about timetables for ending major combat in Gaza when he visits Israel later this week.
Sullivan said he would be carrying President Joe Biden’s thoughts on the matter and would also be looking to hear from Netanyahu and Israeli officials on the issue.
“The subject of how they are seeing the timetable of this war will certainly be on the agenda for my meetings,” Sullivan said Tuesday during an appearance at a forum hosted by the Wall Street Journal.
Sullivan suggested that at some point Israeli forces would shift toward more focused operations to achieve their objectives.
“It doesn’t have to be that you go from that to literally nothing in terms of putting pressure on going after Hamas targets, Hamas leadership, or continuing to have tools in your toolbox to try to secure the release of hostages,” he said. “It just means that you move to a different phase from the kind of high-intensity operations that we see today.”
Sullivan said he would also speak to Netanyahu about his recent comments that Israel Defense Forces would maintain open-ended security control of Gaza after the war ends.
Sullivan reiterated the Biden administration’s position that it does not want to see Israel reoccupy Gaza or further shrink its already small territory. The administration has repeatedly called for a return of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority and the resumption of peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
“I will have the opportunity to talk to Prime Minister Netanyahu about what exactly he has in mind with that comment, because that can be interpreted in a number of different ways,” Sullivan said. “But the U.S. position on this is clear.”
