Israeli defense minister lays out vision for next steps in Gaza

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s defense minister on Thursday laid out his vision for the next phase of the war in Gaza, describing how Israeli forces would shift to a scaled-down “new combat approach” in northern Gaza, while continuing to fight Hamas terrorists in the south of the territory “for as long as necessary.”

Ahead of a visit by the U.S. secretary of state, Yoav Gallant also outlined a proposal for how Gaza would be run once Hamas is defeated, with Israel keeping security control while an undefined, Israeli-guided Palestinian body runs day-to-day administration, and the U.S. and other countries oversee rebuilding.

The post-war vision issue is likely to be on the agenda in Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s talks this weekend in Israel and other countries in the region.

The document issued by Gallant was titled a “vision for Phase 3” of the war, and Gallant’s office said the phase had not yet begun. It also said the ideas were Gallant’s and not official policy, which would have to be set by Israel’s war and security cabinets.

Gallant, who is a member of both cabinets, may be aiming to put his personal plan before the Americans ahead of others in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.

Netanyahu told a U.S. envoy on Thursday that he is seeking a “fundamental change” on Israel’s border with Lebanon.

The comments came days after a suspected Israeli strike on Beirut killed a top Hamas operative, raising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanese terrorist group, which provides support to Hamas, has vowed to avenge the killing.

Netanyahu did not specify what his plans entailed, but said he was committed to resettling evacuated residents from Israel’s north back in their homes safely. Netanyahu also said he hopes to resolve the conflict with Lebanon diplomatically but indicated that Israel would not shirk from a wider conflict.

“Israel, after the murderous attack on Saturday of Oct. 7, is determined, bolder and more united than ever before,” Netanyahu said. “Those of our neighbors who have not yet understood this will understand this very well in the future.”

Netanyahu spoke during a meeting with Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to President Joe Biden and a U.S. envoy who mediates between Israel and Lebanon.

Gallant said Thursday that a diplomatic agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah was still possible.

“We find ourselves at a junction. There is a short window of time for diplomatic understandings, which we prefer,” Gallant told Hochstein.

Israel has demanded that Hezbollah respect a 2006 U.N. cease-fire agreement requiring the group to pull back from the Israeli border.

Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in light cross-border skirmishes through Israel’s war against Hamas. But the sides have appeared reluctant to enter a broader conflict.

Hamas compound raided

The Israeli military said Thursday that it raided a Hamas military compound along the central coast of the Gaza Strip, destroying a tunnel network it said stretched for hundreds of meters. The military said that one of the tunnels led to a facility that was used by Hamas to manufacture weapons, guarded by doors that were blast-proof and booby-trapped.

Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that the facility had been used to create long-range rockets and was stocked with explosives.

“The damage to the production sites and Hamas’s rocket launch capability and its reduction, as is carried out throughout the war, continues to be one of the main objectives of the military operation,” Hagari said.

Videos released by the military showed soldiers digging massive holes in the sand to unearth the tunnel shafts prior to destroying them. Soldiers found a collection of weapons in the area, from grenades to mortar shells.

Gallant said Israel is seeking a “clear victory” over Hamas, which has ruled the territory since 2007. The Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 240 others were taken hostage.

An estimated 129 hostages are still held by Hamas. Gallant said several thousand Hamas fighters remain in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have been battling terrorists for over two months.

More than 22,400 people in Gaza have been killed, more than two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. The ministry count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

On Thursday, a strike hit a house in Mawasi, a small rural strip on Gaza’s southern coastline where Israel’s military has said Palestinians should flee to escape the combat zone.

Israel blames Hamas for the high civilian death toll, saying it operates within residential areas.

Graham visits Israel

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham says it is still possible for Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize ties.

Israel and Saudi Arabia had been moving toward the establishment of official diplomatic relations earlier this year. But those efforts were upended by Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

Speaking in Tel Aviv, Graham said he believes a window of opportunity for normalization remains open until June, when the U.S. will turn its attention to the 2024 president campaign.

The South Carolina Republican said he plans to push the issue with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he visits Saudi Arabia in the coming days.

“I think Oct. 7 was motivated not exclusively, but primarily, by the Iranians to stop the reconciliation process,” Graham told reporters Thursday. “The nightmare for Iran is for the Arab world to reconcile with Israel and move the region toward the light away from the dark side.”

Graham said that he was in Israel to share lessons America learned after trying and failing to eradicate the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Graham added that he hoped an Arab-led coalition would lead rebuilding efforts in Gaza, and that he wouldn’t invest even “15 cents” of American money in the Palestinian Authority. The White House has said a reformed PA should play a role in postwar Gaza.

Graham, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is leading a bipartisan delegation of 10 senators to Israel. The trip included a visit to Kfar Azza, a kibbutz that was severely damaged during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

Pence visits to express support

Former Vice President Mike Pence visited war-battered southern Israel on Thursday to express support for the country in its war against Hamas terrorists.

Standing next to the ruins of a police station in the city of Sderot, home to a fierce battle between Hamas terrorists and police officers on Oct. 7, Pence said the United States stood with Israel, which is under international pressure to end its ground and air campaign in Gaza. Next week, the U.N.’s top court is expected to begin examining a South African case accusing Israel of genocide.

“The world community always seems to find its way eventually to criticizing Israel, particularly in places like the United Nations, ” Pence said. “And in this dark hour, I wanted to do my part to make sure the people of Israel know that the people of the United States are with you and that we will stand with you.”

Pence, who served under former President Donald Trump, is a longtime supporter of Israel. He dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in October.