In a significant development on the international front, President Biden's national security adviser revealed that Israel would soon shift to a fresh phase in its conflict with Hamas. The White House's aspiration for this new phase includes more focused and precision strikes, deviating from the ongoing operations, which have resulted in mass destruction and civilian casualties. This issue has been a growing concern for the Biden administration, leading to intense internal discussions to persuade Israel to modify its strategy.
The US National Security Advisor visited Israel this week, holding exploratory talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, focusing on the anticipated shift in the battle plan. While a concrete timeline has not been set for the new phase's commencement, the bilateral discussions reportedly included this as a key topic. Despite being cautious not to appear imposing instructions, it is evident that the US is steadily putting forth guidance to Israel, underscoring the geopolitical ramifications of continuing the current trend, which could lead to a loss of global support for Israel.
Simultaneously, Biden administration officials and Senate negotiators continue their strenuous efforts to finalize a deal aimed at allocating additional funding to Israel and Ukraine, while also imposing changes to US immigration policies. The aforementioned negotiation, which promises billions of dollars for Israel and Ukraine, among other priorities, has seen the White House displaying a readiness to ensure border policy compromises.
As per sources, some of the proposals under deliberation include enhancing the credible fear standards for asylum seekers, mandatory detaining of immigrants, deporting migrants encountered at the US southern border before providing an asylum-seeking chance, expanding fast-track deportations, and parole authority.
Despite the ongoing discussions, the timeframe for finalizing this significant piece of legislation remains an open question. The supplemental funding that the legislation promises, especially for Ukraine, which continues to grapple with Russian aggression, has made its passage more pressing than ever before.
