Biden administration pursuing a policy that's at odds with Israel’s objectives against Hamas: Former US NSA

The Israel-Hamas conflict has taken a devastating toll on the lives of over 26,000 Palestinians since its inception.

Recent developments indicate an escalation of hostilities, particularly in Southern Gaza, where Israeli forces have intensified attacks, leading to the displacement of thousands of residents.

As international figures engage in diplomatic efforts, the situation remains critical, with hundreds of Palestinians trapped in hospitals in Khan Younis as Israeli troops encircle Gaza's second-largest city.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces, in an interview to CNBC-TV18 emphasized the need to dismantle and crush Hamas as the governing authority of the Gaza Strip. Lerner highlighted concerns about trusting Hamas with governmental powers, citing the creation of a terrorist army responsible for heinous acts against Israeli civilians.

Former NSA of the United States, John Bolton, expressed concern about the Biden administration's approach, suggesting a potential strain in US-Israel relations.

“I think the Biden administration is pursuing a policy that's increasingly at odds with what Israel has said its objectives are. And I think that's, that means trouble ahead because the Israeli government and it's not just Prime Minister Netanyahu, it's the entire war cabinet are committed to what they said their objectives were at the beginning, which is the elimination of Hamas’s political and military capabilities. So I think this is going to be a potentially very difficult period for US Israel relations, because I don't see any sign on the Israeli side that they're going to relent and subject themselves to the threat of terrorist attack in the future,” Bolton said.

He argued that the conflict is not merely a Palestinian-Israeli issue but part of a larger Iranian strategy against Israel, involving various proxy groups in the region.

He highlighted the involvement of Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Shia militia groups in Iraq and Syria as part of a coordinated effort to exert pressure on Israel and its allies.

Bolton criticized the Biden administration's perceived misapprehension of the conflict, emphasizing the need to recognize the broader strategic picture. He urged a comprehensive understanding of the Iranian involvement in the region and suggested that a failure to address this larger context hampers effective policymaking.

Bolton also criticized the Biden administration for its perceived laxity in enforcing sanctions against Iran. He argued that unless Iran feels significant consequences, diplomatic efforts would fall short. Bolton suggested tightening the enforcement of sanctions as a minimum requirement and did not rule out the possibility of military strikes against Iranian positions.