Biden Faces Middle East Diplomacy Test, CIA Director Also Dispatched to Israel

Hamas Likely to Share Hostage Information

U.S. President Joe Biden, focusing on preventing the escalation of the Middle East war, has urgently dispatched the head of the intelligence agency to Israel.

On the 5th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported, citing a senior U.S. official, that Director Burns, who is on a tour of Middle Eastern countries, arrived in Israel, his first destination of the day.

Director Burns is expected to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation, including providing intelligence to the Israeli intelligence authorities, who were criticized for intelligence gathering failures during Hamas's terrorist attack on the 7th of last month.

Operation photos inside the Gaza Strip released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on the 5th (local time). Israeli military vehicles are inside the Gaza Strip, with thick smoke rising. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

In particular, he is likely to share intelligence related to the whereabouts of Israelis held hostage by Hamas and the possibility of additional attacks by Hamas. He is also expected to exchange views with the Israeli side on ways to minimize civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, where the ground war is intensifying.

An official said, "The U.S. will not issue orders to Israel on what to do," adding, "However, it may present opinions to the Israeli government not to repeat the mistakes the U.S. made after the 9/11 incident."

After visiting Israel, Director Burns is expected to move to Jordan to meet King Abdullah II. Jordan, which plays the role of administrator of the Islamic holy site Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem occupied by Israel, has acted as a mediator in the Israel-Hamas conflict along with Egypt.

King Abdullah II was scheduled to hold talks with U.S. President Joe Biden immediately after Hamas's terror attack but canceled the schedule following the explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of civilians. Director Burns is known to have had a close relationship with King Abdullah II even before his accession, having served as ambassador to Jordan in the past.

It has been a month since Israel, which was ambushed by Hamas on the 7th, launched a retaliatory operation. The Israeli military, continuing its ground operation in the Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas, completely surrounded Gaza City, the largest city, on this day. The Israeli military estimates that the operation to annihilate Hamas could take several months or even more than a year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.