The Biden administration has advised Israel to postpone a ground invasion of Gaza in hopes of buying time for hostage negotiations and allowing more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in the sealed enclave, according to several U.S. officials.
American officials also want more time to prepare for attacks by Iranian-backed groups on U.S. interests in the region, which are likely to intensify once Israel fully moves its troops into the Gaza Strip.
The government is making no demands on Israel and continues to support the ground invasion and Israel’s goal of rooting out Hamas, the Gaza-controlling group that killed more than 1,400 people in terror attacks on Oct. 7, the officials said.
But rapidly evolving events since Hamas released two American women on Friday have prompted the administration to more urgently suggest that the Israelis allow time to negotiate the release of 212 more hostages, the officials said.
President Biden called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday afternoon to discuss the latest developments, the White House said. Mr Biden also spoke with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain.
Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu agreed that after the first two convoys of humanitarian aid arrived in Gaza on Saturday, “the flow of this critical assistance will now continue,” according to a White House summary of the call. The leaders also discussed “ongoing efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas – including U.S. citizens – and to ensure safe passage for U.S. citizens and other civilians in Gaza who wish to leave,” said the White House.
Two U.S. officials said the advice to the Israelis to hold off on land war was conveyed by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III because the Pentagon advises Israel on military actions, including ground invasion.
Mr. Austin has spoken almost daily by telephone with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant to discuss operational issues, American arms shipments to Israel and U.S. military operations in the region. He also said that rescuing the hostages should be a priority, a US official said.
A spokesman for Mr. Gallant declined to comment on the discussions.
A diplomat at the Israeli Embassy in Washington denied that the US government had advised the Israelis to postpone the ground invasion, saying: “We are conducting close dialogue and consultations with the US government.” The US is not pressuring Israel on the matter the ground operation.”
An official with knowledge of the hostage negotiations, which are taking place primarily through Qatar, said Hamas had warned that a ground invasion would make the release of hostages significantly less likely. Qatar maintains close relations with Hamas political leaders.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken avoided a direct answer when asked on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday whether the United States would ask Israel to postpone a ground invasion to allow time for hostage negotiations. However, he stressed that the United States would advise the Israelis on the invasion.
“It is important, as I said, not only what they do, but also how they do it,” he said, “particularly when it comes to ensuring that the civilian population is virtually safe in this crossfire caused by Hamas is protected as possible.”
Mr. Blinken continued: “There are many, many Israelis who are hostages, and of course hostages of other nationalities.” That is why we are working to do everything we can, using every lever, partnership and relationship we can available to get them out. Israel is doing the same. But when it comes to what we talk about with Israel in terms of its military operations, it’s really about both the way they do it and how they can best achieve the results they seek.”
Mr. Blinken also said it was important that more food and medical supplies get to Gaza as the humanitarian crisis worsens. Israel imposed a total shutdown of water, electricity and food for the impoverished coastal strip of two million people shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks. The Israeli military has maintained a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2007.
American officials say they hope the ground invasion will be delayed, but they are wary of buying into the narrative long promoted by Iran and its allies that the United States secretly controls Israel.
There have already been a number of drone attacks on US forces in the region. The perception that Biden administration officials are the ones pulling the strings in Israel could draw the United States into direct conflict with Iran or pro-Iranian groups in the region, U.S. officials said .
“In fact, we believe there is a likelihood of an escalation, an escalation by Iranian proxies, directed against our forces and our personnel,” Mr. Blinken said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We are taking measures to ensure we can effectively defend our people.”
The State Department announced Sunday that it had ordered the departure of non-essential American government employees and family members from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq, and increased Iraq’s travel advisory to Level 4, meaning that US citizens should not go there. The ministry cited the threats of “terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest and Mission Iraq’s limited ability to support U.S. citizens.”
U.S. officials fear Iran-backed Iraqi militias will attack the roughly 2,500 U.S. troops in the country and other American institutions or citizens.
Even behind closed doors, American officials carefully craft their advice to the Israelis. When Mr. Biden met with Israel’s War Cabinet during his trip to Tel Aviv last week, he avoided making requests to Mr. Netanyahu, officials said. Instead, the president posed a series of questions to be answered before launching a ground invasion, raising the specter of disastrous U.S. decisions to invade Iraq and wage a long, open-ended war in Afghanistan.