U.S. and Europe Step Up Pressure on Israel to End ‘High Intensity’ Phase of Gaza War

The Biden administration and pro-Israel governments in Europe are placing increasing pressure on Israel to transition within the next few weeks from the current phase of “high intensity military operations” to more targeted raids, acute airstrikes and assassination of senior Hamas leaders. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who arrived in Israel Monday, and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who visited last week, conveyed clear messages on the issue to Israel’s war cabinet.

Publicly, Washington is continuing to back Israel’s goals. Following Sullivan’s visit National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Friday the administration believes “this conflict could go on for months.” He said that Israel and the United States were discussing “transitioning from high intensity to what we would consider lower intensity military operations.”

After meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Monday afternoon, Austin issued a brief statement, stating that the two discussed the goals of the war, its next phases, and the protection of civilians. According to an Israeli source briefed on the details of the conversation, Austin made it clear that the current phase of the war, in which large IDF forces operate deep inside Gaza, causing extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, will have to stop in early 2024. “Austin didn’t set an exact date, but the message was very clear,” the source told Haaretz.

Briefing journalists before Austin’s arrival in Israel, a U.S. defense official said the secretary’s experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, when he was a commander in the army, is relevant to the dilemmas Israel faces today. “He can offer a valuable perspective on these questions, and that’s what he wants to do,” the official explained. “He wants to talk to the Israelis about ways to transition between the different phases of the fighting.”

It is not only the Biden administration that has conveyed such messages to Israel in recent days. The governments of Britain and Germany, two of the most pro-Israel countries in the West, called earlier this week for a “stable cease-fire.” France had earlier also called for a cease-fire, drawing criticism from Israel, however Jerusalem refrained from issuing an official response to the joint call by the British and Germans. The Biden administration remains almost alone in its declared opposition to a cease-fire, as reflected in the UN Security Council vote a week and a half ago.

The Israeli source who spoke to Haaretz assessed that the calls for a cease-fire from European governments and the growing criticism of Netanyahu in the U.S. Congress are coordinated with the US administration. “[President Joe] Biden thinks these things and isn’t saying them directly yet, but he’s talking to other people, and they’re making sure to get the message across.”

Sen. Chris Coons, among Biden’s closest allies in Congress, meanwhile decried Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “an exceptionally difficult partner” due to his opposition to the Palestinian Authority’s control over Gaza and Biden’s vision of a two-state solution. “He has done everything he can to undermine a positive vision for peace for Israel,” Coons told CBS’ Face the Nation. Last week, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, one of the most prominent Democratic Jewish lawmakers, said Biden “was finished with Bibi’s Putin-like no holds barred war.” Cohen warned that “the bombing must be greatly limited, or Israel will be without its last real friend.”

For the first time since the beginning of the war, Republican voices are also calling on Israel to think about the consequences of the war. Sen. Lindsey Graham, among Israel’s most stalwart allies in Washington, said in an interview with NBC News on Sunday that Israel needs to consider the effects of the Gaza war on efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia. “If you really want to hurt Iran long term, don’t let them get away with destroying efforts to reconcile between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” Graham said. “Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries cannot normalize with Israel if they’re having been seen as throwing the Palestinians under the bus.”

“We have two choices: continue the death spiral, or use October 7 as a catalyst for change,” Graham added. “I think the Arabs are going to demand some form of two-state solution to recognize Israel. I think Israel’s going to demand security buffers different than before, and they need to make those demands. I don’t know how this ends, but I’ll tell you this. If we don’t get this right this time, we’re talking about another generation of just tit-for-tat death.”