Israeli leaders are considering the next phase of the war in Gaza, the country’s defense minister said Monday, amid mounting pressure from the United States to move away from the high-intensity, large-scale warfare that has often Israeli forces do. the last two months.
The recognition, made at a news conference by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, came as the Biden administration again pushed Israel to better protect civilians in Gaza — what Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III called, standing next to mr. Gallant, as a “strategic imperative.” for the Israeli campaign.
Mr. did not offer. Gallant details Israel’s plans to shift the strategy of its campaign, which has so far been dominated by heavy bombardment and a ground offensive that has penetrated the northern half of the Gaza Strip and expanded into large swathes of the south. .
“Soon, we will be able to distinguish between different areas in Gaza,” he said. “In each area where we have achieved our mission, we can gradually move to the next stage and start working on bringing the local population back.”
That may “be achieved sooner in the north than in the south,” he said — but cautioned that he was only trying to convey “an idea of what we’re talking about.”
He added that Israel has “no clock” running toward the end of its campaign.
Mr. Austin, making his second visit to Israel since the deadly October 7 attack led by Hamas, met with Mr. Gallant, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials to discuss in detail whether how can Israeli forces move to a more specific stage of the war.
Asked about the timeline of the Israeli campaign — a topic of discussions with US officials in recent days — Mr. Austin said, “this is Israel’s operation, and I’m not here to dictate timelines or terms.” He added that US support for Israel’s right to defend itself is “ironclad” and “will not change.”
The Biden administration envisions the next phase will involve smaller groups of elite forces moving in and out of population centers in Gaza, conducting more precise, intelligence-driven missions to find and kill. the leaders of Hamas, rescue the hostages and destroy the tunnels.
Speaking to reporters after a daylong meeting in Tel Aviv, Mr. Austin called US support for Israel “unwavering,” and endorsed Israel’s campaign to destroy Hamas’ ability to conduct military operations. But he also reiterated a message he has made often recently: Israel will be left less secure if its combat operations turn more Palestinians into supporting Hamas.
“Israel has the right to defend itself,” he said, standing next to Mr. Gallant. “As I said, protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic imperative.”
Mr. Austin’s comments came a day after Mr. Netanyahu to “fight to the end” in Gaza even as public outcry over the Israeli military’s accidental killing of three hostages has raised new questions about how it is conducting the war.
Gaza health authorities said nearly 20,000 people were killed in the enclave during Israel’s response to the attacks on October 7, when Hamas-led raids on Israel killed an estimated 1,200 people.
Israel’s military says Hamas is responsible for civilian casualties because it uses the general population as human shields by operating in or around hospitals, homes and other civilian infrastructure.
Israel’s air force said on Monday that its targeting practices were in accordance with international law. A legal adviser said at a briefing that the air force’s legal department is involved in the targeting process, but it is not necessary for military lawyers to clear every strike. The adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with Israeli military procedure, said commanders are well versed in the laws of war and the principles of proportionality, where they must consider the potential harm to civilians.
Differences are growing between the US and Israel over civilian casualties, the length of the war, the waning of international support for Israel’s campaign and who will govern Gaza after the conflict.
The Biden administration has made its concerns known through top officials’ expanded contacts with their Israeli counterparts, including repeated trips to the Middle East.
Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, met with Israeli leaders on Thursday to discuss the direction of the conflict. The top US commander in the Middle East, Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, met with senior Israeli officials on Friday, the Pentagon’s Central Command said. And Mr. Austin was joined in his meetings on Monday by Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
While US officials have not publicly discussed a timetable, they say privately that Mr. Biden wants Israel to move to more precise tactics in about three weeks.
Mr. Austin will continue his trip to the Middle East this week. He is expected to visit Bahrain and later Qatar, where the Pentagon operates a major command center at Al Udeid air base. The Qatari government helped facilitate the release of hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7 attacks.
Rachel Abrams, Jonathan Reiss and Adam Sella contributed reporting.
