CLEVELAND — It's been over a week since Hamas attacked Israel, and the devastating consequences of the conflict continue to worsen by the minute.
Aaron David Miller, a Shaker Heights native and world renowned expert on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, spent decades in the state department from 1978 to 2003. He served as a negotiator, analyst and advisor to both Republican and Democratic Secretaries of State. He is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for the International Peace focusing on U,S Foreign Policy and has worked under several presidents.
Miller spoke to 3News about how the escalation of violence that started this conflict took the United States by surprise, "I think the Biden administration and the Israeli's were shocked at Hamas capabilities to launch this terror rampage. And the united states focused primarily not the Israeli Palestinian issue, but trying to promote relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and is now forced into a situation with very little leverage and very little time to try and protect it's own interest."
Miller says the United States is trying to find balance in this crisis, "The administration, on one hand, wants to support Israel. And on the other hand they have to balance their equities as well. They are concerned about the humanitarian situation which is already a consequence of Hamas' actions and Israel response ."
Israel responded immediately to the attacks with missiles into the Gaza strip. Then Israel cut off food, water and electricity to the city.
Miller says four times in the last 27 years Israel has fought Hamas. They are now getting ready for the largest ground attack ever on the Hamas.
But what if anything can the United states and president Biden do? Miller said, "He made it unmistakably clear that the united states plans to give Israelis the time and space and support to do what they need to do in order to deal a severe blow to Hamas. That humanitarian issue is a clear priority for the administration. Deterrence's is another priority. They want to warn external actors many Iran and Hezbollah that there will be a cost for interfering in this particular conflict.
Lets be clear here the main event here is an impending Israeli ground campaign the main actors that will determine how this conflict plays out is going to be that conflict between these two adversaries it will be hard for the united states to preempt or prevent this conflict from taking place."
When asked if peace talks were a possibility between the two groups, Miller said, "The conflict is way beyond that."