US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said yesterday that the protection of Palestinian civilians is a moral and strategic imperative, and he described the situation in Gaza as a "humanitarian disaster". Relations between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are at their lowest level since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
"Today in Gaza, the number of civilian casualties is too high and the amount of humanitarian aid is too low," Austin said in a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant at the Pentagon, Reuters reported. "Gaza has been hit by a humanitarian disaster," Austin added.
Amid mounting international pressure to end the fighting and halt Israel's plans for a ground offensive on the Gaza city of Rafah, Netanyahu on Monday canceled a separate visit to the US by two of his top aides. They were scheduled to hear Washington's ideas about a different way to fight Hamas militants in Rafah. The threat of such an offensive has also raised questions about whether the US could limit military aid to Israel if Netanyahu continues to defy Biden and goes ahead with it.
The tension between Netanyahu and Biden culminated in Washington's decision not to block a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Israel's prime minister is also facing problems in his ruling coalition after the crisis with the US exacerbated disagreements over a proposal for ultra-Orthodox Jews to serve in the army.
The threat of a Rafah offensive has raised questions about whether the US could limit military aid to Israel if Netanyahu continues to defy Biden and carries it out.
Israeli media reported that a cabinet meeting was scheduled to discuss planned changes to the conscription law, just days before the government must present proposals to the Supreme Court.
The open show of defiance against Israel's strongest ally was welcomed by partners in the religious-nationalist coalition, but was implicitly criticized by centrist former defense minister Benny Gantz, who joined the war cabinet last year. Gantz said that the delegation should go to Washington.
Despite the drop in Netanyahu's own approval rating, polls show that the Israeli public largely supports the government's determination to eliminate Hamas as a military force in Gaza, which gives him the motivation to stand up firmly to Washington, writes Reuters. However, the divisions underscore the growing pressure on the government in the international context.
The conservative Israel Hayom newspaper, which is usually pro-Netanyahu, supported the decision not to send a delegation, but said public support from Biden is what Israel needs most at a time when the "legitimacy of its actions is disintegrating at an alarming rate."
Reuters writes that Netanyahu's position still depends on maintaining a coalition with ultra-right religious-nationalist parties that oppose any concessions in the war or concessions to international demands for a comprehensive political solution with the Palestinians.
But the conscription requirement, which could remove some exemptions that keep ultra-Orthodox Jews from serving in the military, is becoming a significant hurdle, highlighting long-standing divisions between secular and religious Israelis.
The proposals have sharpened divisions between allies of Defense Minister Galant, who favors expanding the conscription law, and ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition who want the exemptions to remain.
Bonus video:
