US 'says Israel can't achieve any more in Gaza', as David Lammy flies out in bid to 'prevent all out Middle East war'

16 August 2024, 05:46 | Updated: 16 August 2024, 07:30

The US is said to have warned that Israel cannot achieve anything more with its military campaign in Gaza, as it pushed for a ceasefire deal.

Several US officials warned that Israel would never be able to eradicate Hamas completely, despite that being one of Benjamin Netanyahu's stated war aims.

The officials told the New York Times that the US believed a deal was the way to secure the release of the remaining hostages, rather than continued military action, in a war that has already killed 40,000, according to the Hamas-linked health ministry.

But they added that Israel had managed to reduce Hamas' capabilities significantly more than they had expected.

A former top US military official said: "Israel has been able to disrupt Hamas, kill a number of their leaders and largely reduce the threat to Israel that existed before October 7".

In response, the IDF said that it was "committed to achieving the goals of the war to dismantle Hamas and bring home our hostages, and will continue to operate with determination to achieve them."

Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, a spokesperson for the Israeli government also admitted that the ideology espoused by Hamas would never be fully defeated.

David Mencer said: "Nazism wasn't destroyed in 1945 when Britain and the allies took over Germany, they defeated Nazism but there were still Nazis, and we believe the same thing in Israel that you can never defeat an ideology...

"But it's not in military power, it doesn't have a governing structure and that's been our war goal since the very beginning."

It comes as British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is travelling to Israel to hold talks with Benjamin Netanyahu as fears of a regional war in the Middle East grow.

Mr Lammy is making the trip alongside his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne to advocate for a ceasefire.

It comes in a bid to “prevent all-out war in the Middle East”, a diplomatic source said.

The pair will meet with Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz during the trip, as well as the minister of strategic affairs of Israel, Ron Dermer.

Read more: Hamas confirm they will not join ceasefire talks with Israel this week

“This is a dangerous moment for the Middle East. The risk of the situation spiralling out of control is rising. Any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences for the region," Mr Lammy said. 

“The UK and France are united in our commitment to secure a lasting peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider region.

“There can be no delays or excuses. All parties must engage seriously in negotiations on a ceasefire deal. This is a vital opportunity to secure the release of hostages and an immediate surge in aid into Gaza.

“Only with diplomacy can we end the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence. Only with diplomacy can we deliver long-term peace and security for all. That is the message we will be taking with us to the region.”

Tom Swarbrick reacts: David Lammy will travel to Israel 'in attempt to prevent all out war in the Middle East'

Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said: "It's never too late for peace. We must at all costs avoid a regional war, which would have terrible consequences. We must secure a ceasefire agreement and the release of the all the hostages.

"France and the United Kingdom support the efforts of the American, Egyptian and Qatari mediators to achieve this. This is why the two ministers Stéphane Sejourné and David Lammy have decided to visit Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories together, in order to convey these key messages.

"We have been mobilised for several weeks to call on all parties to show restraint and responsibility, any miscalculation in the current situation could provoke a generalised conflagration.”

Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed the visit in a statement on Thursday evening.

The ministry said ministers are "expected to discuss the effort to prevent regional escalation and promote a deal for the release of the Israeli hostages".

"Foreign minister Israel Katz is expected to raise at the meeting the need to promote severe economic sanctions against Iran on the issue of nuclear weapons, missiles and drones, and to declare the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation," it said in a statement.

This visit comes as the US and Israel are locked in talks to end the assault on Gaza.

The talks, which are taking place in Doha, Qatar, began on Thursday and come amid fears of an Iranian strike on Israel in retaliation to a series of political assassinations.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, today, Mr Lammy said: “These talks are an opportunity to secure an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages.

“It is in the long-term interests of Israelis, Palestinians and the wider region to agree this deal urgently.

“I thank Qatar, Egypt and the US for their ongoing efforts in co-ordinating this vital work, at what is a critical time for security and stability across the Middle East.”

Earlier this week, Hamas confirmed it had no intention to take part in this round of ceasefire talks, following the assassination of its political leader in Iran.

Representative Ahmad Abdul Hadi said Hamas was not against ceasefire talks "in principle" but would not enter discussions without "clear commitment" from Israel that a deal would be agreed.

Mr Hadi slammed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming he "is not interested in reaching an agreement that ends the aggression completely".

"Rather he is deceiving and evading and wants to prolong the war, and even expand it at the regional level, and thus he uses negotiations as a cover to continue his aggression against our people and commit more massacres against them," he added.The last month has seen representatives from Qatar, Egypt and the US frantically working to find a ceasefire agreement as fears of a regional conflict in the Middle East rise.

Any deal is expected to come in the form of a three-phase plan, which would include the return of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza.