Sullivan says Israeli offensive in Gaza not a matter of ‘exit strategy’

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that Israel’s offensive in Gaza is not a matter of “exit strategy” and called it “premature” to determine the future of the Palestinian enclave.

“Right now, the issue is not exit strategy. Right now, they are still facing rocket attacks, and they are still facing the very serious threat that Hamas can continue to kill Israeli civilians: women, children, the elderly. And so right now, the Israeli focuses on neutralizing that threat, destroying that threat, so that Israel can live in security and dignity,” Sullivan said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“And the United States is going to continue to support them in that effort, even as we discuss with them all of the larger strategic questions, to ensure that over the medium term and the long term, the state of Israel is secure, and the state of Israel is sustained,” he continued.

Sullivan also would not detail what Israel’s plan is for Gaza’s future, after Israel warned civilians to evacuate, in which more than 1 million people — half the population — were told to leave their homes in anticipation of a major ground operation expected at any moment.

“I can’t sit here today and tell you what the exact outcome of this military operation will be, either militarily or politically. What I can tell you is that the United States, sitting with our Israeli counterparts, are talking through all of the dimensions, including questions related to governance, as we go forward. And it is simply premature, sitting here today, to talk about what the future holds in that regard,” Sullivan said.

At least 29 Americans have been killed since Israel and Hamas went to war in the last week.