A senior Biden administration official on Monday publicly questioned whether Israel could achieve a “total victory” in its war against Hamas.
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that “in some ways” the U.S. government is “struggling with what the narrative of victory is” in Israel, reflecting on past military operations against terrorist organizations.
“If you listen closely to Israeli leaders, they were primarily talking about the idea of some kind of total victory, total victory on the battlefield,” Campbell said. mentioned in the question and answer session At the NATO Youth Summit in Miami.
“We don’t think that’s likely or possible.”
Campbell likened the outlook on the ground in Gaza to the situation “that we found ourselves in after 9/11.”
Administration officials rarely expressed open skepticism about Israel’s prospects on the battlefield, but they hinted at similar concerns.
For example, over the weekend, Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the resurgence of Hamas in areas where Israel once defeated it, while warning U.S. allies that refugees are being crowded out without a plan for civilians. He urged them not to attack the Palestinian city of Rafah.
“We’re seeing Hamas come back in parts of Gaza where Israel has removed it,” Blinken said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“When we look at Rafa, they may come in and have some initial success, but they can come at an incredibly high cost to civilians, but it’s not durable and It’s not sustainable.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Jewish state seeks “absolute victory” over Hamas and vowed to storm Rafah to eliminate the terrorist organization.
“I think we think we need a more political solution,” Campbell said. “In that sense, what is different from the past is that many countries want to move towards a political solution where Palestinian rights are more respected.
“I don’t think there has ever been a more difficult situation than now.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly estimated that approximately Seven months of fighting in the Gaza Strip has killed 16,000 civilians along with 14,000 terrorists.
Israeli authorities are keen to bring notorious Hamas leader Yahya Shinwar to justice as the military raids the Strip.
Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu have clashed over Israel’s impending invasion of Rafah and the current civilian death toll, and their spat has at times become public.
But Campbell stressed that Israel is “mindful” of the issues raised by Biden.
“I think the president is proud of the fact that he supported Israel during its darkest and most difficult times,” he said. “We are committed to a future that requires a two-state solution.”
