Rep. Adam Smith, US House Committee on Armed Services
US House Armed Services Committee member Adam Smith on the âproblemsâ of a ground assault on Gaza
A senior member of the US House Committee on Armed Services has expressed caution about Israel launching a ground assault on Gaza. âIsrael needs to be more careful about how they go after Hamas, thereâs no question about that,â said Rep. Adam Smith.
Speaking to ±«Óătv HARDtalk, Congressman Smith said, âIsrael went into Gaza in a limited way back in 2014. Most observers after the fact don't think that it was a particularly successful operation in terms of being able to significantly degrade Hamas.â
The senior Democrat politician questioned whether Israeli troops were sufficiently prepared for such an assault. âIs Israel trained for that type of urban warfare?â, he asked. âThe impact on the civilian population is profound of having to engage in that type of fighting.â
Adam Smith also warned about the dangers of a wider war. âIran is already engaged. Iran has supplied Hamas for quite some time. But they could be more engaged without question,â he said. A ground assault on Gaza, he warned, âdefinitely increases the risk of the conflict spreadingâ. Asked about the presence of US aircraft carriers in the eastern Mediterranean, Congressman Smith said, âthose forces are there to protect US interests primarily. And then also secondarily - yes - to hopefully be a deterrent to Hezbollah.â
US President Joe Biden has just visited Israel where he met his counterpart Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed his support. The president said Israel had the right to strike back for the attack in which Hamas killed 1400 people and captured nearly 200 hostages. But he cautioned the country not to be âconsumedâ by rage in its reaction, which could lead to mistakes.
