Israel delays ground invasion as US presses for post-Hamas plan

The Biden administration is stuck threading the needle between unconditional support for Israel’s war on Gaza, preventing a wider regional conflict, and its discomfort over Israel's endgame. 

On Tuesday, White House spokesman John Kirby sought to put to bed rumors that US unconditional support might be wobbling. The comments suggested that a delay in a ground invasion would not lead to a respite in fighting and would benefit Hamas. 

A former senior US official familiar with the Biden administration’s thinking told Middle East Eye that as the war enters its next stage, Washington believes it is seeing the benefits of its unconditional support for Israel.

“Our engagements with the Israelis are helping them to think carefully about what they are about to do, to put up guardrails, and to check rash impulses,” said the former official.

You can read MEE reporter Sean Matthews' full analysis piece below. 

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