Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was set to begin a series of meetings with senior White House officials aimed at securing continued ammunition supply to Israel and American support for the military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Gallant was expected to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns, and Middle East envoy Amos Hochstein. The meeting with Lloyd is expected to deal with equipping and ammunition shipments. In Israel Hayom, we first published yesterday that one of the topics in the meeting will be the purchase of future platforms that will maintain Israel's qualitative advantage in the Middle East.
In addition, Gallant will face pressure from the Democratic administration to lead to an end to the war without operating in Rafah, but is expected to convey a message that Israel has not yet completed the steps required to achieve the war's goals: the return of the captives and the collapse of Hamas.
While the Americans are determined to prevent a widespread Israeli operation in Rafah and are demanding further humanitarian relief, Israeli officials argue that they are undermining their ability to pressure Hamas into a deal. In light of Hamas' increasingly harsh tone, Israel did not express optimism that the US compromise proposal regarding the chances of their formula for a deal being accepted.
Against the backdrop of the tension in the northern front, Gallant is also expected to meet with Hochstein, even though according to estimates, the White House is drawing a line between a deal and calming Hezbollah. In the absence of an alternative political plan, Hochstein has currently stopped his shuttle diplomacy between Israel and Lebanon, and he too is waiting for a signal that a ceasefire that will lead to an agreement in the north is indeed possible.
Meanwhile, sources in Israel involved in negotiating a prisoner exchange deal said Sunday that there has been no progress with the mediators and no sign of a breakthrough. CIA director William Burns, who left Qatar earlier this week, is expected to meet with Gallant during his visit to Washington. It appears that in the absence of a breakthrough with Hamas at the moment, the Biden administration has decided to invest efforts in thwarting the operation in Rafah at the expense of the deal, which was supposed to postpone the operation anyway.
Gallant was not expected to receive a particularly warm welcome. On Sunday, US Vice President Kamala Harris said in an interview with ABC that if Israel acts widely in Rafah there could be "consequences." Similar remarks were heard by the cabinet ministers who met with Secretary of State Blinken during his visit to Israel over the weekend.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
