Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call on Sunday that Israel has no choice but to launch a ground military operation in the Gaza Strip, following Hamas's sudden attack on Israeli residential areas. During the call, Netanyahu told Biden, "We must enter. There is no room for negotiation now," according to the report citing Israeli and American sources familiar with the conversation.
Israel has mobilized tens of thousands of soldiers around the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, which has been under the control of Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., since 2007. Netanyahu informed Biden that "Israel has no other option but to respond with force because no country can show weakness in the Middle East. We need to restore deterrence."
Biden did not attempt to pressure Netanyahu or persuade him against proceeding with the ground operation, according to Axios sources. The sources indicated that Netanyahu informed Biden that the presence of a front on the Lebanese border is a cause for concern and that Israel is preparing for this scenario, but emphasized that Israel has no option other than to respond with significant force in Gaza. The White House and the Israeli Prime Minister's office declined to comment, according to Axios.
