The sources told the newspaper that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has a limited amount of time to finish its operation in Gaza before Arab countries become enraged and the United States frustrated by the growing number of civilian casualties.
They believe that the longer the Israeli campaign lasts, the greater the chances that the conflict will turn into a large-scale war. Some of them added that Israel’s strong response to the October 7 attack had boosted sympathy for the Palestinian issue across the globe.
The US officials also said that Israel's quick decision to launch a ground incursion into the densely populated enclave left almost no time for careful advanced planning to reduce risks to civilians and virtually guaranteed a high death toll among Palestinians.
The longer the shelling of the Gazans continues, the more isolated Israel and the US, as its main ally, could become, as the international community calls for a ceasefire, according to the report.
Senior US military officers are trying to persuade their Israeli colleagues to be "more calculating and precise" in strikes on Gaza, one of the sources said. Several officials, in turn, urged Israel to use 250-pound satellite-guided bombs instead of 1,000- to 2,000-pound munitions on military targets in Gaza to reduce collateral damage.
The news outlet also reported that some current and former US military officials questioned whether the Israeli military was really concerned about the safety of civilians while choosing its targets.