1 of 4 | Smoke rises above houses during Israeli bombing in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was traveling to Israel to meet with leaders amid mounting pressure for a cease-fire as international concerns grows over the deaths of civilians in Gaza. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI |
License PhotoDec. 14 (UPI) — U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Israel on Thursday as pressure mounted on Israel over rising civilian casualties in Gaza after President Joe Biden warned that it was beginning to lose international support for its war against Hamas.
In Israel, Sullivan will hold “extremely serious conversations” with Israeli officials, including discussions on “efforts to be more surgical and more precise and to reduce harm to civilians,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Wednesday.
Sullivan was expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and Israeli military leaders.
In addition to discussing Israel’s war practices, Sullivan was also expected to discuss the release of hostages taken by Hamas including eight Americans.
On his way to Israel, Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday while on his way to Israel, where they discussed efforts to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians and efforts to deliver aid to Gaza, according to a White House readout of the conversation.
The trip comes amid a rift between Biden and Netanyahu over who will lead Gaza after the war and the deaths of civilians.
Biden warned on Wednesday that support for Israel globally was starting to wane after more than 18,000 Palestinian civilian deaths.
“Israel’s security can rest on the United States, but right now it has more than the United States. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world,” Biden said. “But they’re starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place.”
In what appeared to be a response to Biden’s comment, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen brushed off the criticism.
“Israel will continue the war against Hamas with or without international support,” he said.
