WASHINGTON – The Biden administration has advised Israel to delay a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, according to several United States officials.

They say they hope to buy time for hostage negotiations and to allow more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in the sealed-off enclave.

US officials also want more time to prepare for attacks on US interests in the region from Iran-backed groups, which officials said are likely to intensify once Israel moves its forces fully into Gaza.

The administration is not making a demand of Israel and still supports the ground invasion and Israel’s goal of eradicating Hamas, officials said.

But fast-moving events since Hamas released two American women on Oct 20 have spurred the administration to more urgently suggest that Israel allows time to negotiate the release of 212 other hostages, officials said.

US President Joe Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday afternoon to discuss the latest developments, the White House said.

Mr Biden also spoke to the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain.

The US President and Mr Netanyahu agreed that after the entry of the first two convoys of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Saturday, there “will now be continued flow of this critical assistance”, a White House summary of the call said.

The leaders also “discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all the remaining hostages taken by Hamas – including US citizens – and to provide for safe passage for US citizens and other civilians in Gaza who wish to depart”, the White House said.

Two US officials said the advice to Israel to hold off on the land war was being conveyed through Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin because the Pentagon is helping advise Israel on military actions, including the ground invasion.

Mr Austin has had near daily calls with his Israeli counterpart, Mr Yoav Gallant, to discuss operational matters, American arms shipments to Israel and US military deployments to the region.

He has also talked about recovering the hostages as a priority, one US official said.

A spokesperson for Mr Gallant declined to comment on the conversations.

A diplomat from the Israeli Embassy in Washington denied that the US government was advising Israel to delay the ground invasion and said: “We have a close dialogue and consultations with the US administration. The US is not pressing Israel in regard to the ground operation.”

An official with knowledge of the hostage negotiations, which are taking place mainly through Qatar, said Hamas had warned that a ground invasion would make hostage releases much less likely.

Qatar has close ties to the political leaders of Hamas.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken avoided answering directly, when asked on CBS’ Face The Nation on Sunday, whether the US was asking Israel to delay a ground invasion to allow time for hostage negotiations.

He stressed, though, that the US was giving advice to Israel on the invasion.

“It’s important, as we said, not only what they do, but how they do it,” he said, “particularly when it comes to making sure that civilians are as protected as they possibly can be in this crossfire of Hamas’ making.”

Mr Blinken also said it was important that more food and medical supplies get into Gaza, as a humanitarian crisis worsens.

Israel imposed a complete cut-off of water, electricity and food on the impoverished coastal strip of around 2.3 million people. Israel had already effected a naval blockade on the enclave since 2007.

The latest complete siege was announced after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct 7.

The group’s gunmen killed some 1,400 people and took around 200 hostages into Gaza.

In retaliation, Israel has been bombarding Gaza and killed more 4,600 people.

The Israeli military has also amassed tanks and troops near Gaza in preparation of a ground offensive.

US officials say they hope the ground invasion will be delayed, but they are wary of playing into the narrative Iran and its allies have long spread about the US secretly controlling Israel.

There have been a flurry of drone attacks targeting US forces in the region.

US officials said leaving the impression that Biden administration officials are the ones pulling the strings in Israel could drag the US into a direct conflict with Iran or pro-Iran groups in the region.

“In fact we expect that there’s a likelihood of escalation... by Iranian proxies directed against our forces (and) our personnel,” Mr Blinken said on NBC’s Meet The Press. “We are taking steps to make sure that we can effectively defend our people.”

The State Department announced on Sunday that it had ordered the departure of non-essential US government employees and family members from the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US Consulate in Erbil, Iraq.

They have also increased the travel alert in Iraq to Level 4, meaning US citizens should not go there.

The department cited threats of “terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest and Mission Iraq’s limited capacity to provide support to US citizens”.

US officials fear Iraqi militias supported by Iran will attack the 2,500 or so US troops in the country and other American institutions or citizens.

The ground invasion has been repeatedly delayed, according to four senior Israeli defence officials, who added that they did not know the reason for the postponement.

Two of the officials said it was possibly related to the negotiations.

CNN reported on Sunday that US officials believe a delay could allow time for the release of more hostages.

The New York Times reported last week that US and other Western officials familiar with the talks said there was optimism that Hamas might release women and children because of international backlash to the abductions.

A senior Israeli military official said that based on conversations between the US and Qatar, Hamas could possibly release about 50 dual nationals separate from any broader deal.

The repeated delays also reflect a growing tension between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant, his defence minister, who supports a broad military operation that would also include Hezbollah, the powerful militia in Lebanon.

Mr Netanyahu has opposed the wider operation.

US officials have also privately expressed concern to Israeli leaders about any major strike against the group that would draw it into Israel’s war against Hamas, opening a second front. NYTIMES