Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley on Monday acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself against the barrage of rockets from Hamas, but added that an escalation in fighting could destabilize the region and potentially have “negative consequences” on the Abraham Accord peace deals.
“My assessment is that you risk broader destabilization and you risk a whole series of negative consequences if the fighting continues,” Milley said shortly before arriving in Brussels for meetings with NATO allies.
“So in my view, I think de-escalation is a smart course of action at this point for all parties concerned.”
“It’s in no one’s interest to continue fighting,” Milley said.
The conflict that has stretched more than a week entered a more violent stage over the last couple of days as the rocket attacks and airstrikes intensified.
More than 200 Palestinians have been killed in the hostilities and 12 people in Israel have died.
President Biden in a phone call Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support for a cease-fire — even as he defended Israel’s right to defend itself from attacks, the White House said.
A group of Senate Democrats are also pushing for a cease-fire.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is speaking to US partners in the region to de-escalate the fighting.
Asked about the flurry of diplomatic activity, Milley said: “I believe that whatever military objectives are out there need to be balanced against other consequences.”
He didn’t elaborate on his comment.
Milley was also asked about the Trump administration’s “Abraham Accords,” which established normalized ties between Israel and Arab nations.
“It’s possible that there will be negative consequences for things like that,” he said.
With Post Wires