White House tells Israel to scale BACK Gaza offensive in ‘weeks’ – but Netanyahu warns he won’t stop until Hamas is ‘eliminated’

The US reportedly demanded on Thursday that Israel end its intensive attack on Hamas in Gaza in weeks instead of months.

The message was delivered by President Joe Biden's national security adviser during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It comes after Biden warned Israel that his “indiscriminate” bombings meant the country risked losing international support.

“National Security Advisor Sullivan made it clear at all meetings that the high-intensity kinetic campaign should transition to the next, lower-intensity phase within weeks, not months,” a senior U.S. official said.

“(This is not) a deadline and we understand that the campaign must and will continue, but in a lower intensity manner.”

He pressed Netanyahu and members of his war cabinet on the timetable for what a low-intensity campaign would look like, according to Axios.

Netanyahu said the war would continue until Hamas was eliminated.

“I told our American friends: our heroic fighters did not fall in vain,” he said, according to a statement from his office.

“Because of the deep pain of their fall, we are more determined than ever to keep fighting until Hamas is eliminated – until absolute victory.”

Israel launched its attack on October 7 in response to a devastating terrorist attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 people.

Since then, aid organizations have been warning of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Hamas-controlled health authorities say 18,000 people were killed in the siege and bombardment.

Israel continued its heavy bombardment on Thursday, pounding targets across the length and breadth of Gaza.

At the White House, spokesman John Kirby was asked about Sullivan's meeting with Netanyahu.

“He did talk about a possible transition from what we would call high-intensity operations, which we see them doing now, to lower-intensity operations sometime in the near future, but I don't want to put a time stamp on it. ,' he said.

“I think you can understand that the last thing we would want to do is telegraph to Hamas what they are likely to have to deal with in the coming weeks and months.”

In Israel, Minister Benny Gantz told reporters that the US was not trying to dictate policy.

'I think the Americans are conducting a strategic and professional discourse with us that is appropriate and measured. “They're not trying to dictate anything to us,” he said.

Still, the Biden administration's position has hardened in recent weeks.

Biden has benefited greatly from his long friendship with Netanyahu, and aides have said he can have more influence over Israel by taking a publicly supportive position.

However, his top lieutenants issued warnings earlier this month.

Biden's vice president used a speech in Dubai to issue the strongest demand yet that Israel adhere to international humanitarian law.

“Too many innocent Palestinians have been murdered,” Kamala Harris said. “Frankly, the extent of civilian suffering and the images and videos from Gaza are devastating.”

On the same day, Biden's Defense Secretary warned that Israel's campaign could backfire by radicalizing a new generation of Hamas recruits.

“In these types of battles, the center of gravity is the civilian population,” said Lloyd Austin. “And if you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace tactical victory with strategic defeat.”

And Biden himself publicly warned his old friend about this on Tuesday

“They are starting to lose that support because of indiscriminate bombings that are happening,” he told a gathering of donors.”

It also emerged on Thursday that Harris has urged Biden to take a tougher stance on Israel and to stand up more for the citizens of Gaza.