A rift between Israel and the US has deepened as Washington pushes to wind down fighting in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, Israeli broadcaster Channel 13 reported.
Citing unnamed political sources, it said US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper conveyed the message during a visit to Israel on Saturday that Washington wants progress toward “closing the three fronts.”
The push has exposed differences over how far Israel is prepared to scale back its military aggression across the region.
Israeli military officials told their US counterparts that Israel intends to preserve its freedom to act against Iran if Tehran continues developing its nuclear programme or rebuilding its ballistic missile capabilities, according to the report.
In Lebanon, Washington is pushing for further Israeli withdrawals from positions inside the security zone in the south, Channel 13 said.
In Gaza, the US is pressing for progress and the deployment of a multinational force that currently includes hundreds of troops from Morocco and Uganda, according to the broadcaster.
Israeli security officials have also raised objections with the political leadership in recent days over US demands to halt targeted killings and scale back military attacks in Gaza, the report said.
Channel 13 noted that those demands do not explicitly appear in proposals currently under discussion.
A senior Israeli military officer cited by the broadcaster said Washington’s message to Israel’s security establishment was to “move toward closing the three fronts.”