US Pushes for Reduced Civilian Harm in Gaza During Blinken’s Visit

US secretary of state will likely discuss several issues with Israeli officials, including minimizing civilian casualties, nixing ideas of forced displacement, and the PA’s role in postwar Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Israel late Monday following a whirlwind tour that took him to six regional capitals. Blinken’s fifth visit to Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s consequent war on Hamas comes at a time when more voices are demanding an end to the bloody war in the coastal enclave, amid fears that the conflict may spread regionally.

The top US diplomat is scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Israeli defense and foreign ministers, as well as National Unity party leader Benny Gantz and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid before joining a War Cabinet meeting.

“US concern is that the current limited tension in the north with Hizbullah may increase and get out of control, and we may have a full-fledged war on our hands,” Israeli political analyst Eli Nesan told The Media Line.

On Monday, Israel killed a top commander in Hizbullah’s elite Radwan force, a week after allegedly assassinating senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut’s southern suburb Dahia, the de facto capital of the powerful Lebanese group.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant explained that the war in the northern part of Gaza will shift.

We’re close to the next phase in the north, including Gaza City

“We’re close to the next phase in the north, including Gaza City,” where Israeli troops have largely established control, at least above ground, Gallant said. Israeli officers said they are still working to destroy a large network of underground tunnels used by Hamas fighters.

Secretary Blinken will be discussing several issues with Israeli officials, chief among them is minimizing civilian casualties in Gaza. The Biden Administration has urged Israel to do more to avoid civilian casualties. Gallant indicated that Israeli forces would be shifting from what he called the “intense maneuvering phase of the war” toward “different types of special operations.”

Among other issues on Blinken’s agenda is the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been pushed by some Israeli officials like far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a champion of West Bank Jewish settlements. He has repeatedly made inflammatory remarks about Israel’s post-war intentions in Gaza, most recently sparking an international outcry over his comments calling for Palestinians in Gaza to leave the territory.

The role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in post-war Gaza will also be discussed. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that the PA will not play any role in the future of Gaza, insisting that the PA in its current form should not take charge of the coastal enclave.

Meanwhile, Washington has said that Israel cannot occupy the enclave after the war, with Secretary Blinken saying during his trip that the Gaza Administration had to be re-unified with the nearby West Bank, parts of which are run by the PA.

President Biden recently called for the “revitalization” of the PA, to be able to rule the Gaza Strip on “the day after.”

On Wednesday, Blinken will make the short drive north to Ramallah in the West Bank for a meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

Increased Violence and Tension in the West Bank

US-based Middle East expert Hasan Awwad told The Media Line that President Abbas must be more forceful in demanding a cease-fire and in playing a role in the future of Gaza.

“President Biden is under pressure in the US to exert pressure on Israel to stop the war, but President Abbas himself is weak and has little authority over areas under his control in the West Bank, let alone Gaza,” said Awwad.

Since October 7, Israel has carried out nightly raids on Palestinian villages, towns, and cities in the West Bank, focusing its operations on refugee camps. According to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, more than 345 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, which have detained more than 5,500 people.

The West Bank is on the verge of explosion, and unless tangible measures are taken, Israel will have to deal with the consequences

“The West Bank is on the verge of explosion, and unless tangible measures are taken, Israel will have to deal with the consequences,” Ramallah-based political analyst Esmat Mansour told The Media Line.

“Israeli raids are not conducive to bringing calm. On the contrary, more incursions, killings, and arrests will lead to the PA losing control,” said Mansour.

PA President Abbas arrived in Egypt’s capital on Sunday to discuss Israel’s war on Gaza and cease-fire efforts, according to media reports.

The visit to Cairo came at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

During their meeting, it is expected that “the work carried out for an immediate and permanent cessation of the genocidal war waged by Israel against the Palestinians” will be discussed, it said.

The meeting will also focus on preventing attempts to relocate the Palestinian people and stopping attacks by Israeli forces and radical Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The two leaders will also discuss Egyptian, Arab, regional, and international efforts to deal with the humanitarian disaster taking place in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Health Ministry of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in at least 23,210 fatalities, including approximately 10,000 children, and over 59,000 injuries since October 7. The Israeli military reports that since October 7, it has killed at least 8,000 Palestinian combatants and over 10,000 noncombatants in the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials state that in the initial attack on October 7, Hamas operatives killed over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, the majority being civilians, and approximately 180 Israeli soldiers have died in subsequent fighting.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.