Informed American sources revealed that the Biden administration is pressuring Israel to reconsider its plans for a large-scale ground assault in the Gaza Strip, instead advocating for a "surgical" operation using airstrikes and special operations forces to carry out precise strikes aimed at high-value targets and infrastructure of Hamas, according to five U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters, indicated that administration officials have become extremely concerned about the potential repercussions of a full ground attack and increasingly doubt that it would achieve Israel's stated objective of eliminating Hamas.
One official noted concerns that such an action could jeopardize negotiations for the release of nearly 200 hostages, especially since diplomats believe significant progress has been made in recent days toward freeing some, potentially including some Americans, according to the Washington Post.
The officials further stated that the Biden administration is also worried that a ground invasion could result in numerous casualties among Palestinian civilians as well as Israeli soldiers, potentially leading to a major escalation of hostilities in the region. U.S. officials believe that targeted operations would be more conducive to hostage negotiations, less likely to disrupt humanitarian aid deliveries, less deadly for civilians on both sides, and less likely to provoke a wider war in the region.
