The U.S. Is Changing Its Approach to Israel, Which Continues to Ignore Its Warnings - Israel News - Haaretz.com
What is now happening in the Gaza Strip – mainly the successful IDF and Shin Bet raid on Al-Shifa Hospital – is taking place under the heavy shadow of events in the international arena. In the United States, there is growing tension between the Biden Administration and Israel on the backdrop of difficulties in moving humanitarian aid and the spread of starvation or imminent starvation in the Gaza Strip. In Qatar, another round of talks is taking place under American auspices, in an attempt to advance a deal for releasing some of the hostages.
In response to the growing anger in the administration, Israel committed 10 days ago to help inundate the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid. This promise is not yet being fulfilled on the ground. Israel is not interfering with airdrops of American aid or with the building of a dock on the Gaza City shoreline, but so far there have been no reports of an agreement on the movement of goods from Israel to northern Gazathrough the Erez border crossing.
Aid shipments are arriving at a rate that is not meeting the demand in Gaza, and they are not providing an effective means of contending with the gravity of the situation there, following five and a half months of war. International agencies are publishing daily warnings of an impending spread of starvation among the Palestinian population, most of which has had to flee southward, toward Rafah.
The situation in the northern Gaza Strip is even more serious, since there the IDF destroyed most buildings and civilian infrastructure during the fighting, and much of the aid headed to the north is plundered on its way from the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
A girl carries a canvas bag filled with food aid bearing the logo of non-profit non-governmental organization World Central Kitchen, in Rafah, last week.Credit: Mohammed Abed/AFP
The Biden administration, which was very supportive of Israel throughout the war, showing great patience given Netanyahu's evasiveness with regard to discussing the postwar period in Gaza, has changed its approach. This is evident in talks held recently at the UN around the formulation of a Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. Attesting to the nature of the difficulties with the U.S. are two visits taking place there this week.
The first was an emergency visit by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who went to the U.S. to urge the Americans to speed up supplies of weapon systems to Israel. Following him are cabinet member Ron Dermer and the head of Israel's National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, who are going to the U.S. following a request by President Joe Biden. They will discuss the military operation in Rafah that Netanyahu has been promising almost daily.
What is surprising is that Israeli leaders fail to see the connection between the two issues. Biden is demanding that Netanyahu provide guarantees for the safety of Palestinian civilians, and for their orderly evacuation from the area. In the absence of a persuasive Israeli plan, the U.S. will continue to express its sweeping opposition to an IDF invasion of Rafah, and may delay the delivery of these weapons, which the army needs for fighting in Gaza and, mainly, in case there is a major conflagration with Hezbollah in the north.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel over the weekend. His meeting with Netanyahu reflected the overt gaps between the two countries' positions. Netanyahu announced that "the IDF must enter Rafah in order to eliminate Hamas' remaining battalions, and if the administration opposes this, we will do this on our own," meaning in spite of American opposition.
In practice, Netanyahu is not mentioning that such an operation will not take place during the holy month of Ramadan and that it would be difficult to wage it over American opposition, and that in any case it would take lengthy preparations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves from an aircraft upon his arrival in Tel Aviv, on Friday.Credit: Evelyn Hockstein /POOL/ AFP
Blinken, in contrast, according to the Axios website, warned the war cabinet that Israel could find itself mired in Gaza for a prolonged period if it does not rapidly form an exit strategy. In an announcement to the press, Blinken emphasized that the administration was determined to do whatever it could to reach a deal for releasing the hostages.
Loosening Netanyahu's grip
Another round of talks took place in Doha over the weekend between Israel and the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, who are serving as mediators. Hamas' overseas rulers are permanently located in the city. According to a senior Israeli source, the delegation agreed to an American proposal regarding the number of Hamas terrorists to be freed in the first stage of the deal, but Hamas has not yet responded to the offer.
Channel 12 News reported that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar joined the delegation only after a serious dispute in the war cabinet, between Netanyahu and other ministers, and with heads of the defense establishment. The prime minister ultimately agreed to give the delegation a broader yet still limited mandate during these negotiations. Bar led the demand to grant the heads of the delegation broader room to maneuver during the talks.
And yet, the final decision on the Palestinian side depends on the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, who is apparently still hiding somewhere in the underground complex his organization built in Gaza. According to reports about Hamas' reactions to offers made by the mediators, it appears that there is still some connection between Sinwar and Hamas leaders in Qatar. In any case, it's obvious that Sinwar is the final arbiter given his responsibility for his organization's achievement, in its eyes, in the terror attack on October 7.
Sinwar is apparently not in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where the IDF has been operating for almost a week. However, the raid on the hospital reflects a relatively rare case in which there is some ground for the army's boasts regarding the importance of its achievements. According to the IDF, the operation has killed around 170 armed men from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with hundreds of suspects arrested.
This time it's not just "men at an age where they could be fighters," but a high number of known activists, some of them senior members of the organizations. Their arrests and interrogations could yield valuable intelligence which will deepen the damage inflicted on the capabilities of Hamas. Continuing the operation could serve as a means of pressuring Hamas, on the backdrop of the talks in Qatar.