US, 'Israel' discuss shifting phases of war on Gaza: US official

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Dec 2023 09:29

A senior White House official details topics discussed in a high-level meeting between US and Israeli officials.

US President Joe Biden (C-L) pauses during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C-R) in "Tel Aviv", occupied Palestine, on October 18, 2023. (AP)

A senior White House official has revealed details behind the meeting that took place between Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, from one side, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US National Security Advisor, from another, during Dermer's visit to Washington on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the US and Israeli delegations discussed "the transition to a different phase of the [Israeli war on Gaza] to maximize focus on high-value Hamas targets," the official who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed.

Dermer is known to be Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest confident, and the visit comes at a time when the Biden administration is looking to change the course of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, according to a report published earlier by Axios.

The US is reportedly pushing the Israeli political command to opt for "surgical operations" within the Gaza Strip, rather than a full-fledged attempt to advance to the cities of the Gaza Strip.

US-Israeli plans for post-war Gaza

Israeli and American officials took the chance on Tuesday to further clarify, their perceptions of governance in the Gaza Strip, the White House official confirmed.

Dermer and the US delegation discussed "governance and security in Gaza, a political horizon for the Palestinian people, and continued work on normalization and integration," according to the official.

Earlier it was revealed that Israeli authorities have planned to impose a "Reformed Palestinian Authority (RPA)" to run "civilian affairs" in the Strip, supposing that a floundering Israeli military achieves victory in Gaza. On the other hand, the US has publicly announced its support for a Mahmoud Abbas-led Palestinian Authority governing the Gaza Strip, but its officials have refused to comment on the Israeli-proposed RPA.

Minimizing casualties

The official claimed that the meeting provided the two allies an opportunity to talk about pathways to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and minimize harm to civilians.

However, Washington had previously announced its "unwavering support" for the occupation, which has translated into tons of bombs and munition used to target Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. A large amount of this munition is unguided "dumb bombs", clocking in at around 40-45% of the total of air-launched munitions.

In fact, such bombs have been used to level inhabited neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip. Even precision-guided munition have been utilized to target homes killing entire families in one go.

Moreover, the supposed US diplomatic efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, have failed to relieve the Strip from a strict and brutal Israeli siege. This is not to mention other crises that Israeli occupation forces have caused in the Strip, including the disabling of the health sector and mass forced displacement.