The White House said Sunday that "it's the right time" for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory's ruling Hamas terrorist group.
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The comments exposed the growing differences between the close allies on the 100th day of the war.
Video: Kamal Adwan director confesses hospital used for taking hostages / Credit: Shin Bet security agency
Also Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon following a Hezbollah missile attack that killed two Israeli civilians – an older woman and her adult son – in northern Israel. The exchange of fire underscored concerns that the Gaza violence could trigger wider fighting across the region.
The war in Gaza, launched by Israel in response to the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of Gaza, driven around 85% of the territory's 2.3 million residents from their homes and pushed a quarter of the population into starvation. On Oct. 7, Hamas unleashed destruction on Israeli towns bordering Gaza, killing 1,200 Israelis – men, women, and children – and kidnapped some 250 hostages.
Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US has been speaking to Israel "about a transition to low-intensity operations" in Gaza.
"We believe it's the right time for that transition. And we're talking to them about doing that," he said on "Face the Nation."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Hamas is destroyed and all of the more than 100 hostages still in captivity are freed.
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