Washington wants Israel to delay its ground offensive into the Gaza Strip in order to buy time for talks on hostages and to allow more humanitarian aid into the territory, unnamed US sources were quoted as saying by an American newspaper.
The sources claimed that the “fast-moving events” since the Palestinian militant group Hamas freed two American women last week “have spurred the Biden administration to more urgently suggest that the Israelis allow time to negotiate the release of 212 other hostages.”
However, a diplomat at the Israeli embassy in Washington reportedly denied that the White House was advising the Jewish state to "delay the ground invasion," saying, "We are in close dialogue and consultation with the US administration. The U.S. is not pressuring Israel regarding the ground operation."
When asked if the United States was requesting Tel Aviv to postpone the ground offensive, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken evaded giving a direct response.
“There are many, many Israelis who are hostages and of course, hostages from other nationalities. So we’re working to do everything we can, using whatever levers, partnerships, relationships we have to get them out. Israel is doing the same. But in terms of what we’re talking to Israel about with regard to their military operations, it really is focused on both how they do it, and how best to achieve the results that they seek,” Blinken told reporters late last week.
He spoke as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited troops on the Gaza border, saying they "see Gaza now from a distance" and "will soon see it from inside".
“I am tasked with leading us to victory. We will be precise and forceful, and we will keep going until we fulfil our mission,” Gallant said, voicing “confidence ahead of the next stage [of Israel’s current military operation], which will come soon.”
In another development, Hamas said Saturday that it planned to release two more hostages on "humanitarian grounds," but the Israeli side reportedly rejected the offer.
"Last night we informed the Qatari brothers that we will release Nurit Ishak and Yohevid Efshitz on humanitarian grounds without any conditions. However, the occupation government rejected this proposal," the militant group said in a statement. On Friday night, the Israeli government confirmed the release of two US citizens from captivity in Gaza.
The first of two convoys of humanitarian aid has now arrived in the Palestinian enclave, with the White House claiming that Israel had agreed "that there will now be a continued flow of this critical assistance."
The UN says 100 trucks a day are needed to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.4 million people. Nearly half of them have reportedly been displaced by Israel's bombing campaign. UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza was "another small glimmer of hope for the millions of people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. But they need more, much more.
Israel earlier announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off electricity, food, water, and gas supplies to the Palestinian enclave, as part of Tel Aviv’s military operation Swords of Iron. The operation came in response to Hamas launching a surprise large-scale rocket attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, prompting the Jewish state to declare a state of war and launch retaliatory strikes. More than 1,400 Israelis and at least 4,651 Palestinians have already been killed in the hostilities.