US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin returned to Israel on Monday (December 18) for what Defense Department officials defined as talks expected to focus on Israel's endgame in its war against Hamas and its transition to a more limited and focused conflict.
Austin's visit to Israel was considered a balancing act as he steadfastly supported Israel's right to defend itself after Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations in Gaza murdered Israeli civilians on the October 7 attacks, but at the same time, stressed about the plight of civilians in Gaza as Israeli strikes drive up casualties.
Earlier this month, Austin even went as far as calling the civilians the "center of gravity" in Israel's war with Hamas, as well as warned about the risks of their radicalization.
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What to Expect with Austin's Talks with PM Netanyahu
A senior US defense official told reporters traveling with Austin - on the condition of anonymity - that he was expected to meet and discuss with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant regarding plans for a transition to the next phase of the war.
"What you see in terms of the high-intensity ground operations, plus air strikes, today is not going to go on forever. It's one phase of a campaign," the official said.
"We have an interest in supporting the Israelis in planning for what a transition looks like when they make the decision that major ground operations should end and they're ready to transition."
Meanwhile, Washington Institute for Near East Policy Military and Security Studies Program director Michael Eisenstadt told Reuters that, while both the US and Israel agreed on the eventual transition to a next phase of the campaign, Washington officials wanted it to happen as soon as a few weeks while their Tel Aviv counterparts felt it needed more time, perhaps a several months.
"So they are in basic agreement about the way ahead, and the need to eventually transition to a more targeted approach, but there are differences regarding the timeline," he said.
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