A top Biden administration official openly cast doubt Monday on whether Israel can pull off a “total victory” in its war against Hamas.
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell reflected on past military campaigns against terror groups and revealed that “in some respects,” Washington is “struggling over what the theory of victory is” in Israel.
“When we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talked about mostly the idea of some sort of sweeping victory on the battlefield, total victory,” Campbell said during a question-and-answer session at the NATO Youth Summit in Miami.
“I don’t think we believe that that is likely or possible.”
Campbell likened the outlook on the ground in the Gaza Strip to the situation “we found ourselves in after 9/11.”
Administration officials have largely stopped short of openly voicing skepticism about Israel’s prospects on the battlefield but have alluded to similar concerns.
Over the weekend, for instance, Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted how Hamas has resurged in areas from where Israel previously beat them while urging the US ally not to pummel the refugee-dense Palestinian city of Rafah without a plan for civilians.
“We’re seeing parts of Gaza that Israel has cleared of Hamas where Hamas is coming back,” Blinken told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“As we look at Rafah, they may go in and have some initial success, but potentially at an incredibly high cost to civilians, but one that is not durable, one that is not sustainable.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Jewish state is seeking an “absolute victory” over Hamas and vowed to go into Rafah in order to snuff out the terror group.
“I think we view that there has to be more of a political solution,” Campbell said. “What’s different from the past in that sense, many countries want to move towards a political solution in which the rights of Palestinians are more respected.
“I don’t think it’s ever been more difficult than right now.”
Netanyahu publicly estimated that roughly 16,000 civilians have been killed along with 14,000 terrorists in seven months of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials are keen on bringing notorious Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to justice as their military pounds the strip.
Biden and Netanyahu have clashed over Israel’s looming invasion of Rafah and the current civilian death toll — a spat that has spilled into the public at times.
But Campbell stressed that Israel is “heeding” the issues that Biden has raised.
“I think … the president is proud of the fact that he stood by Israel in its darkest, most difficult time,” he said. “We are committed to a future that calls for a two-state solution.”