Biden adviser Brett McGurk recalls "pretty draconian measures" being considered against Israel
Brett McGurk, who served as a top adviser to President Biden on the Middle East, told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" about the high-stakes negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and how the Biden administration was considering "pretty draconian measures against Israel" in April 2024.
President Joe Biden faced the possibility of implementing severe actions against Israel following a devastating Israeli military drone attack in April 2024 that claimed the lives of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in the Gaza Strip. However, a warning received from U.S. intelligence about an imminent Iranian attack on Israel prevented Biden from proceeding with such measures, according to Brett McGurk, a senior Middle East adviser to four U.S. presidents.
In an interview with CBS News, McGurk recalled Biden expressing frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's management of the Gaza conflict. McGurk noted that U.S. intelligence had intelligence about Iran's intent to launch an "unprecedented" aerial assault on Israel, which involved 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, and 30 cruise missiles.
This threat compelled the Biden administration to deploy military forces to counter the anticipated Iranian attack. Despite the threats, the White House never announced a complete suspension of weapons supplies to Israel, although a reduction in certain weapons transfers took place. McGurk reasoned that withdrawing all U.S. support from Israel would not resolve the crisis; instead, it could exacerbate the situation.
He further emphasized that compelling Israel to cease American aid might harden Hamas' stance, thereby impeding negotiations to end the war and free hostages.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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