Israel’s next phase in Gaza involves targeting Hamas leadership: White House

• Israel will target Hamas leaders next.
• Nearly 19,000 lives have been lost.
• Israel needs time to achieve its war goals.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated in Israel on Friday that the battle in Gaza will move into a new phase that will be centered on intelligence-driven operations and pinpoint targeting of the Hamas leadership.

The international community is putting more and more pressure on Israel to lower the number of civilian deaths in its offensive, which has claimed the lives of nearly 19,000 Palestinian civilians since the October 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel killed about 1,200 people.

According to Sullivan, Israel would need several months to accomplish its war goals, but in the interim, the campaign of heavy bombing and ground operations would give way to phased combat.

The timing of a change in the war’s intensity was not disclosed by the White House adviser, who is scheduled to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later on Friday.

Sullivan stated at a press conference, “The conditions and the timing for that was obviously a subject of conversation that I had with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the war cabinet, Israel’s military chiefs, and the minister of defense.

When asked if the US may withhold military assistance if the conflict does not transition into a lower intensity phase with fewer civilian losses, Sullivan said that private talks would be the most effective means of coming to a decision.

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