US President Joe Biden urges Israel to reduce the intensity of hostilities in the Gaza Strip "in about three weeks," i.e., in mid-January. The New York Times reports this, citing sources.


Although officially the United States continues to say that only Israel chooses the timing and format of its military operation, privately, US officials are pressuring the Israelis to reduce the number of attacks on the enclave.


Washington believes that "Israel will be less secure if its military operations turn more Palestinians into supporters of Hamas."


The day before, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin came to Israel with the same message.


Instead of a "high-intensity" phase of the war, Israel is proposed to carry out more targeted, intelligence-based missions to find and kill Hamas leaders, destroy tunnels and other militant infrastructure, and rescue hostages.