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Obama Administration Defends Israeli Airstrikes but Cautions Against Ground War Obama Administration Defends Israeli Airstrikes but Cautions Against Ground War
(about 2 months later)
WASHINGTON — As the fighting between Hamas and Israel intensified, the Obama administration publicly defended Israel’s right to carry out airstrikes to stop Hamas’s rockets while privately cautioning it against ordering a ground attack into Gaza. WASHINGTON — As the fighting between Hamas and Israel intensified, the Obama administration publicly defended Israel’s right to carry out airstrikes to stop Hamas’s rockets while privately cautioning it against ordering a ground attack into Gaza.
In a telephone call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from China on Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry’s third call to the Israeli leader in four days, Mr. Kerry did not explicitly ask Mr. Netanyahu to rule out a ground attack in Gaza if Israeli airstrikes failed to stop Hamas from firing rockets, American officials said. Rather, the officials said, Mr. Kerry’s message was that the United States would try to help Israel fulfill its goal of stopping Hamas’s rocket fire without a ground assault.In a telephone call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from China on Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry’s third call to the Israeli leader in four days, Mr. Kerry did not explicitly ask Mr. Netanyahu to rule out a ground attack in Gaza if Israeli airstrikes failed to stop Hamas from firing rockets, American officials said. Rather, the officials said, Mr. Kerry’s message was that the United States would try to help Israel fulfill its goal of stopping Hamas’s rocket fire without a ground assault.
Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, summed up the administration’s message. “No country should be expected to stand by while rocket attacks from a terrorist organization are launching into their country,” she said.Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, summed up the administration’s message. “No country should be expected to stand by while rocket attacks from a terrorist organization are launching into their country,” she said.
“At the same time, in the secretary’s conversation, in the conversations of all of our senior administration officials, they’ve been encouraging all sides to de-escalate the situation, and certainly, we don’t want to see any civilian casualties,” she added, echoing a message that has come from the White House.“At the same time, in the secretary’s conversation, in the conversations of all of our senior administration officials, they’ve been encouraging all sides to de-escalate the situation, and certainly, we don’t want to see any civilian casualties,” she added, echoing a message that has come from the White House.
The escalating conflict has posed a major challenge for the Obama administration two months after its efforts to pursue Middle East peace talks sputtered to a halt and Mr. Kerry said that the peace process would be paused. Besides Mr. Kerry’s phone calls to Mr. Netanyahu, Philip Gordon, a senior official on President Obama’s National Security Council, has been meeting in Israel with Israeli and Palestinian officials.The escalating conflict has posed a major challenge for the Obama administration two months after its efforts to pursue Middle East peace talks sputtered to a halt and Mr. Kerry said that the peace process would be paused. Besides Mr. Kerry’s phone calls to Mr. Netanyahu, Philip Gordon, a senior official on President Obama’s National Security Council, has been meeting in Israel with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
But while Israel seems positioned for a possible ground assault, Mr. Netanyahu appears reluctant to take that step.But while Israel seems positioned for a possible ground assault, Mr. Netanyahu appears reluctant to take that step.
“By all accounts, Netanyahu has exercised restraint and has pursued a policy of gradual escalation,” said Robert Danin, a senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relation and a former senior State Department official.“By all accounts, Netanyahu has exercised restraint and has pursued a policy of gradual escalation,” said Robert Danin, a senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relation and a former senior State Department official.
“He is reluctant to send in ground troops,” Mr. Danin added, “but is under pressure from some in Israel who believe he has not been forceful enough and would like him to go into Gaza and clean out Hamas.”“He is reluctant to send in ground troops,” Mr. Danin added, “but is under pressure from some in Israel who believe he has not been forceful enough and would like him to go into Gaza and clean out Hamas.”
But helping to stem Hamas’s rocket attacks, in which longer-range weapons that can reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are being used, is a major challenge for Washington. Hamas has demanded Israel release Hamas militants who had been set free but were recently rounded up. And Hamas is also calling for the opening of the major border crossing with Egypt, which would ease Gaza’s economic isolation.But helping to stem Hamas’s rocket attacks, in which longer-range weapons that can reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are being used, is a major challenge for Washington. Hamas has demanded Israel release Hamas militants who had been set free but were recently rounded up. And Hamas is also calling for the opening of the major border crossing with Egypt, which would ease Gaza’s economic isolation.
The difficulties are exacerbated by the fact that the United States has no contact with Hamas and has had to reach out to Arab states that do.The difficulties are exacerbated by the fact that the United States has no contact with Hamas and has had to reach out to Arab states that do.
During her waning months as secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton helped bring about a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel in a round of shuttle diplomacy. But Mrs. Clinton was working with Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader who had strong ties with Hamas and was Egypt’s president. But Mr. Morsi was deposed by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whose military has cracked down on Hamas’s smuggling tunnels. He has shown little interest in opening up the Gaza border crossing.During her waning months as secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton helped bring about a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel in a round of shuttle diplomacy. But Mrs. Clinton was working with Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader who had strong ties with Hamas and was Egypt’s president. But Mr. Morsi was deposed by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whose military has cracked down on Hamas’s smuggling tunnels. He has shown little interest in opening up the Gaza border crossing.
While Mr. Sisi has called for a cease-fire, his government has downgraded its ties with Hamas, which would make Egyptian efforts to broker an agreement “less effective than in the past,” David Pollack, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote recently.While Mr. Sisi has called for a cease-fire, his government has downgraded its ties with Hamas, which would make Egyptian efforts to broker an agreement “less effective than in the past,” David Pollack, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote recently.
So Mr. Kerry reached out to Qatar, whose emir visited Gaza in 2012 and which has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance for projects there. Mr. Kerry called Qatar’s foreign minister, Khalid bin al-Attiyah, on Wednesday.So Mr. Kerry reached out to Qatar, whose emir visited Gaza in 2012 and which has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance for projects there. Mr. Kerry called Qatar’s foreign minister, Khalid bin al-Attiyah, on Wednesday.
Mr. Kerry also called Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, and was planning to speak with Mahmoud Abbas, who has sought to form a new Palestinian government that would reunite the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Mr. Abbas has criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza but has not spoken out against Hamas’s rocket attacks.Mr. Kerry also called Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, and was planning to speak with Mahmoud Abbas, who has sought to form a new Palestinian government that would reunite the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Mr. Abbas has criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza but has not spoken out against Hamas’s rocket attacks.