The United States said on Sunday that Israel must take all necessary measures to “distinct” in its military operations between Hamas and Palestinian civilians, as the Israeli army intensifies its bombings and ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
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“What we believe is that every hour, every day of this military operation, the Israeli government should take every possible measure at its disposal to distinguish between Hamas – terrorists who are legitimate military targets – and civilians who are not,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN.
“That’s the advice we give them. This is what we communicate, and we continue to do so at the highest levels,” he added, specifying that President Joe Biden would meet again on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The two leaders have spoken almost daily since the start of the war unleashed after the unprecedented bloody attack by Hamas on October 7 on Israeli soil. This attack has left 1,400 dead since that date, mainly civilians, according to the authorities.
In retaliation, the Israeli army relentlessly bombs the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas since 2007, and besieges this cramped Palestinian territory where some 2.4 million Palestinians are crowded together.
More than 8,000 Palestinians, “half of whom are children,” have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, the Hamas Ministry of Health said overnight from Saturday to Sunday.
Mr. Sullivan also noted on the ABC channel that Hamas was doing “everything in its power to put people in danger, to use them as human shields” but “it is up to Israel to take the necessary measures to do so. distinction between Hamas, which does not represent the Palestinian people, and innocent Palestinian civilians.
He also said that Israel should favor “targeted operations.” The United States is Israel’s primary supporter and provides significant military aid.