The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they happen.
New UK foreign secretary heads to Washington, with Israel-Hamas war a key focus of visit
LONDON — British Foreign Secretary David Cameron is heading to Washington to stress the importance of the UK-US relationship in his first visit to the United States since his shock return to frontline politics.
The former prime minister will also pledge the UK’s “unwavering support for Ukraine” and will discuss the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, according to the foreign office in London.
“The UK and the US are deeply bound by a shared mission to defend the values that provide security and prosperity for us all,” Cameron says ahead of the visit.
“That is why we remain unwavering in our support of Ukraine.
“We also stand united in the Middle East, working together to ensure long-term security and stability in the region, and in responding to the challenges posed by China.”
Cameron will hold talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as well as Congressional figures from both the left and right.
They will discuss getting humanitarian aid to those hit by the conflict in Gaza and how the two countries can work towards bringing about a long-term two-state solution, his office says.
Cameron, who served as Conservative prime minister from 2010 to 2016, was named as Britain’s top diplomat on November 13 when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shuffled his ministerial team.
US believes Israel could wrap up major ops in southern Gaza by January — CNN
The US believes Israel could wrap up large-scale military operations in the southern Gaza Strip by January, and then shift to more targeted attacks on specific Hamas terrorists and leaders, CNN reports.
Citing multiple senior administration officials, the cable news network says the White House is concerned how the IDF’s offensive will play out in the coming weeks and has warned Israel to limit damage and civilian casualties. But a senior official quoted in the report says they aren’t comfortable using the word “receptive” to describe Israel’s response to the US advice.
A senior administration official also says Israel appears unlikely to achieve its objective of preventing Hamas from being able to carry out another attack like October 7 by the end of the year, and that Israeli forces will continue to pursue that goal as part of a “longer-term campaign” when the fighting evolves to a new phase.
“We are in a high-intensity operation in the coming weeks, then probably moving to a low-intensity mode,” an Israeli official tells CNN, confirming the expected transition.