Israeli adviser visits DC to talk next phase of Israel-Hamas war, future of Gaza

On Tuesday, Dec. 26, U.S. officials met in Washington with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, a close adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a member of the country’s war cabinet, amid differences between the two countries on the scope of Israel’s operations and plans for what a post-war Gaza would look like. According to a White House official, Dermer met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan over several issues that encompass the Israel-Hamas war, including:

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• A transition to a different phase of the war to “maximize high-value Hamas targets.”
• Practical steps to improve the humanitarian situation and minimize harm to civilians.
• Efforts to bring home the remaining hostages taken by Hamas during the October terror attack.
• Planning for the day after the end of the war.

The White House official said this included “the governance and security of Gaza – a political horizon for the Palestinian people and continued work on normalization and integration.” The meeting comes as the Israeli government said it is planning for a new phase in fighting despite international calls for a cease-fire.

The meeting also comes as Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza, including in the vicinity of a refugee camp. The World Health Organization reported that overnight 70 people were killed in strikes while Al-Aqsa Hospital staff said they received 100 casualty reports.

“WHO’s team heard harrowing accounts shared by health workers and victims of the suffering caused by the explosions,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO. “One child had lost their whole family in the strike on the camp. A nurse at the hospital suffered the same loss, with his entire family killed.”