Report: US wants Israel to downshift war by January 1, sees Palestinian/UN force securing Gaza

The Washington Post reports that Biden administration officials want Israel to move to a less intense stage of battle soon, “ideally” within the next 11 days, despite US insistence that it is not putting a timetable on Israel’s military campaign.

According to columnist David Ignatius, a 20-page document drawn up by the State Department lays out options for a post-ar Gaza, increasingly managed by Palestinians.

The report says security in Gaza could be handled by “Palestinians who aren’t affiliated with Hamas and are willing to cooperate with the Israeli troops still ringing the border. Ideally, this policing force would be bolstered by foreign troops, operating under a UN mandate.”

Ignatius also reports that Israel is exploring the possibility of creating “humanitarian islands” in northern Gaza as fighting increasingly shifts south.