(NewsInsights.org) – Speaking from decades of experience in places like Syria and Iraq, some career State Department officials have expressed doubts about Israel’s ability to win an “absolute victory” over Hamas. On May 13, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell addressed the NATO Youth Summit in Miami and told an audience that many Biden Administration diplomats don’t envision a sweeping battlefield victory against Hamas as “likely or possible.”
For weeks, the State Department and the National Security Council have pushed the idea that Israel cannot win solely through military tactics. They have argued that Israel must also implement long-term political strategies that would honor Palestinian rights if they hope to prevent a resurgence of Hamas or other insurgencies.
Speaking anonymously, four officials confirmed that Campbell’s comments at the summit represented the administration’s viewpoint. In a May 14 press briefing, State Department spokesperson Vendent Patel reiterated the administration’s commitment to Israel but also mentioned the need for a political plan to break the cycle of violence and terrorism. He mentioned a two-state solution multiple times throughout the presser.
Patel’s press conference echoed that of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday, May 13. Sullivan presented 10 administration policy points as a preamble to taking questions. His points seven and eight went to the heart of long-term US concerns for Israel and the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made his goals clear. He has stated he would not entertain a cease-fire until Israeli forces eradicated Hamas and returned all hostages. He has never entertained a two-state solution.
Yet, the US has warned that clearing an insurgency from an area once doesn’t prevent militants from reassembling again. The US became all too familiar with the pattern in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria after retaliating against al-Quaeda for the September 11, 2001, attacks. Now, Gaza is seeing the resurgence of Hamas in areas where Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) previously defeated them.
While, as of May 15th, Israel has not yet launched a full scale invasion of Rafah, it’s expected at any time and tensions remain high.
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