White House tells Israel to scale BACK Gaza offensive in ‘weeks’ – but Netanyahu warns he won’t stop until Hamas is ‘eliminated’

The US on Thursday reportedly demanded that Israel end its intense attack on Hamas in the Gaza Strip within weeks rather than months.

This was stated by President Joe Biden’s national security adviser at a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It comes after Biden warned Israel that its “indiscriminate” bombing meant it risked losing international support.

“National Security Adviser Sullivan has been clear in all meetings that the high-intensity kinetic campaign must transition to the next lower-intensity phase within weeks, not months,” the senior US official said.

“(This is not a deadline, and we understand that the campaign must and will continue, but with less intensity.”

A senior Biden administration official on Thursday reportedly demanded that Israel end its intense attack on Hamas in the Gaza Strip within weeks rather than months.

Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan (left) met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

Netanyahu said he has pressed Netanyahu and members of his war cabinet for a timetable for what a low-intensity campaign would look like. Axios.

Netanyahu said the war will continue until Hamas is destroyed.

“I told our American friends: Our heroic fighters did not fall in vain,” he said, according to a statement from his office.

“Because of the deep pain of their fall, we are more determined than ever to continue the fight until Hamas is destroyed—until absolute victory.”

Israel launched the attack on October 7 in response to a devastating Hamas terrorist attack that killed 1,200 people.

Aid agencies have been warning of a humanitarian disaster ever since.

Hamas-controlled health facilities say the siege and bombing have killed 18,000 people.

Israel continued its heavy bombing campaign on Thursday, striking targets throughout Gaza.

At the White House, press secretary John Kirby was asked about Sullivan’s meeting with Netanyahu.

Vice President Kamala Harris has reportedly called on colleagues including President Joe Biden to show greater public sympathy for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid Israeli bombing.

The siege and bombing of Gaza have killed more than 18,000 people, according to Hamas-controlled Palestinian health authorities.

A reservist jumps off an armored personnel carrier at a transit point near the border with the Gaza Strip.

“He talked about a possible transition from what we would call high-intensity operations, which we see now, to lower-intensity operations sometime in the near future, but I don’t want to put a time stamp on that. ,’ He said.

“I think you understand that the last thing we want to do is tell Hamas what they are likely to face in the coming weeks and months.”

In Israel, Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz told reporters the US is not trying to dictate policy.

“I think the Americans are having a strategic and professional dialogue with us that is appropriate and measured. They are not trying to dictate anything to us,” he said.

Despite this, the Biden administration’s position has hardened in recent weeks.

Biden has made much of his long-standing friendship with Netanyahu, and his aides have said he could have more influence on Israel by taking a stance of public support.

But his key aides issued warnings earlier this month.

Sullivan met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and his aides in Tel Aviv

Vice President Biden used a speech in Dubai to make his strongest demand yet for Israel to respect international humanitarian law.

“Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed,” Kamala Harris said. “Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming out of Gaza are simply devastating.”

That same day, Biden’s defense secretary warned that Israel’s campaign could backfire by radicalizing a new generation of Hamas recruits.

“In this type of combat, the center of gravity is the civilian population,” Lloyd Austin said. “And if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you will replace tactical victory with strategic defeat.”

And Biden himself publicly warned his old friend on Tuesday that

“They’re starting to lose that support because of the indiscriminate bombing that’s going on,” he told the donor meeting.”

It also emerged Thursday that Harris is calling on Biden to take a tougher stance on Israel and be more vocal on behalf of Gaza civilians.