US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during a visit to Israel on Friday that the war in Gaza will move to a new phase that focuses on precisely targeting the leadership of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), and on operations supported by intelligence information.
Sullivan explained that he had held “valuable” discussions in Israel about moving to a less intense military operation, and pointed to the agreement between Washington and Tel Aviv that the fighting would take months, but according to different stages.
Sullivan added that Israel will continue to pursue the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the movement’s military wing, Muhammad al-Deif, and his deputy, Marwan Issa.
He said that the Israeli government indicated that it had no long-term plans to occupy Gaza.
On the other hand, the American official stated that he would discuss with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas strengthening the Palestinian security forces and extending control in the West Bank.
He said that the Palestinian Authority needs renewal regarding the way it governs and represents its people.
The White House said – in a statement yesterday, Thursday – that Sullivan met in Tel Aviv with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the emergency government “to discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza and our common goal of defeating Hamas, reducing harm to civilians, and ensuring an increased and sustainable flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.” .
The statement added that Sullivan was briefed on the details of the “military campaign” led by the State of Israel in Gaza, including the campaign’s objectives and stages, and determining the necessary conditions for a shift over time from intensive cleansing operations to less intensive operations against Hamas.
Reuters said that Sullivan and Netanyahu held very detailed discussions about the efforts made to extract the remaining hostages from Gaza, and that American sources indicated that the discussions witnessed widespread agreement that the future of Gaza must be led by the Palestinians.
The US State Department also said that it is engaged in talks with the Israelis regarding the duration of the current conflict. Ministry spokesman Matthew Miller added that his country does not want the conflict to continue for longer than necessary, he said.
Since last October 7, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza that has left nearly 19,000 martyrs and more than 50,000 wounded, most of them children and women, massive infrastructure destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to Palestinian and UN sources.
