Ehud Barak Warns Israel is Running Out of Time Before US Allies Sour on War Effort Against Hamas

In an interview with Politico published Monday, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak warned that Israel is running out of time before its allies, most notably the United States, sour on its war effort against the Hamas militant group. Barak said while the Biden administration cannot dictate Israel on how to move forward following the brutal and unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Israel won’t be able to ignore calls for more restraint as the Palestinian civilian death toll continues to rise in Gaza.

President Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for a pause in Israel’s fighting in Gaza, the president said Tuesday. Mr. Biden made the remarks to reporters traveling with him in Washington, D.C., shortly after Axios reported the president asked Netanyahu for a three-day pause in order to allow for more hostages to be released. The president did not say how long of a pause he requested.

The request for a pause in fighting comes as Gaza’s health ministry on Monday said over 10,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict started, including over 4,000 minors. The Biden administration has been vocal in its support for a ceasefire, and has called for an end to the violence.

The United States has been a long-time ally of Israel, and has provided the country with billions of dollars in military aid over the years. However, the Biden administration has made it clear that it will not tolerate any actions that could lead to further civilian casualties. It remains to be seen how Israel will respond to the president’s request for a pause in fighting.