7/12/2023–|Last updated: 12/7/202305:51 AM (Mecca time)
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States has discussed with Israel its timeline for military operations in Gaza. An American official indicated that Washington had repeatedly spoken with the Israelis about the future of governance in the Gaza Strip, and the White House discussed with Palestinian officials what he described as “revitalizing the Palestinian Authority” so that it would be able to govern Gaza and the West Bank, as he put it.
Reuters quoted Sullivan as saying that Israel had already sent the location of its ground operation, without giving details. “I will just say that we talked to them about what they are thinking about in terms of duration and how that fits into a long-term strategy to address this issue that goes beyond just military means,” he added.
For his part, Strategic Communications Coordinator at the US National Security Council, John Kirby, said that the United States spoke several times with the Israelis about the future of governance in the Gaza Strip. Kirby added that talks will continue regarding the post-war phase in Gaza.
American refusal
Kirby pointed out that the United States does not support any Israeli occupation of Gaza or the displacement of its people. He added that any authority that governs Gaza in the future must represent the Palestinians and respond to their aspirations, stressing that his country does not yet know what this authority will look like in the future, as he put it.
Kirby added that Washington is working with the Israeli side to help it exercise the greatest possible caution during military operations in the Gaza Strip, as he described it.
For his part, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Washington opposes any reduction in the area of Gaza after the end of the war. He stressed that the United States opposes the establishment of any proposed buffer zones within the borders of the Strip.
American officials also warned Israel in statements to CNN that the Israeli attacks in their current form on Gaza must end by next January. The officials added that the United States believes that the time Israel has to maintain international support for it is rapidly diminishing.
A few days ago, Reuters quoted one of Netanyahu’s advisors as saying that Israel is preparing a detailed plan to establish a buffer zone in Gaza.
It also quoted another Israeli official as saying that it is not clear the depth of this buffer zone, adding that it may reach one or two kilometers or hundreds of meters inside Gaza.
Activate power
In the context of the American moves, the White House said that Phil Gordon, the Vice President’s National Security Advisor, met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian officials in Ramallah, where he informed them of the content of his meetings with Israeli officials.
The White House added that Gordon discussed with Palestinian officials the “revitalization” of the Palestinian Authority.
He stressed that the revitalized Palestinian Authority must be able to govern Gaza and the West Bank.
He stressed the need to strengthen the Palestinian Authority’s security forces to eventually assume responsibilities in Gaza, according to the White House.
The American official also considered that “Hamas does not represent the Palestinians” and that it cannot control Gaza when the war ends, as he put it.
The Israeli occupation army is waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving 16,248 martyrs, including 7,112 children and 4,885 women, in addition to 43,616 wounded.
Since the beginning of the war that broke out after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that Israel seeks to seize and maintain security control in Gaza.