US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to build efforts on the Israel-Hamas war.
Sullivan made multiple trips to the Middle East in recent weeks to speak about plans to prevent the attacks from Yemen-based Houthi rebels against commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Sullivan Meets Salman
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House December 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. Sullivan spoke at length about the this week's upcoming U.S-Africa Leaders Summit, with dozens of African leaders visiting Washington, DC.
Sullivan discussed the ongoing war in the Middle East with Salman and also sought to build on efforts to make peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The increasing number of civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip during Hamas's October 7 attack has raised international pressure for a ceasefire, especially from Arab countries.
Sullivan's meeting with the crown prince discussed the US attempting to prevent the Gaza conflict from dominating the region and deal with normalized discussions between Israel and Saudi Arabia that were in the works before the massacre by Hamas.
Amos Hochstein, the White House's energy security adviser, said that the US would continue work on normalizing ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel last week, saying the war gave new momentum to the effort.
Furthermore, US officials have engaged with Arab states in hopes of securing commitments for aid and governance assistance to help rebuild a postwar Gaza in recent weeks.
The two officials also talked about preventing Houthi strikes on commercial shipping. The US said that at least ten merchant ships attacked Yemen since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, with US warships repeatedly responding to distress calls.
On Thursday and Friday, Sullivan will visit Israel and hold discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the Israeli war cabinet.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said that Sullivan would discuss with the Israelis the need for them to be more surgical and precise with their strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza.
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Biden Warns Netanyahu
Biden criticized Netanyahu on Tuesday at an off-camera campaign reception in Washington. He said that Netanyahu's government has been hindering a long-term solution.
"I think he has to change, and with this government, this government in Israel is making it very difficult for him to move," he added.
Biden warned that Israel started to lose support in Europe and around the world because of its military offensive against Hamas, which caused a rising number of civilian deaths. At the same time, Biden said that Hamas must be held accountable for the October 7 attack.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 18,000 people have been killed in the territory since October 7. While 97 Israeli military officials were killed during the conflict in Gaza.
The US rejected a United Nations resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire. Deputy US ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said that the resolution would only plant the seeds for the next war.
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