A faster resolution to the fighting in Gaza could help limit civilian strife that might spur people to join the ranks of Palestinian militants, U.S. President Joe Biden’s top military adviser said.
General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Israel’s stated aim for its military campaign in Gaza — the complete destruction of the Hamas militant group that runs the territory — was “a pretty large order.”
But he also said Israel was focused on targeting the senior leadership of Hamas, which might be achieved more quickly.
“I think the longer this goes, the harder it can become,” Brown told reporters before arriving in Japan on Thursday, in his first detailed remarks on the month-old conflict.
Israel launched a ground and air offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after gunmen crossed from the small enclave into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people and taking about 240 others hostage.
Palestinian officials said 10,569 Gaza residents had been killed as of Wednesday, about 40% of them children, and humanitarian problems are mounting.
Read more: Israel should temporarily halt its ‘war’ in Gaza, US President
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday the number of civilians killed in Gaza showed there was something “clearly wrong” with Israel’s military operations.
Brown took over as the U.S. military’s top officer over a month ago.
