US President Joe Biden has warned Israel that its expected offensive in southern Gaza must avoid the kind of mass displacement of civilians seen during the military's pummeling of the Palestinian territory's north, US officials said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one official emphasized the need for the upcoming offensive to be "maximally deconflicted" and refrain from targeting critical infrastructure.
"You cannot have the sort of scale of displacement that took place in the north, replicated in the south," the official stated late Monday, underscoring the importance of minimizing further displacement. The directive, extending from the president to other levels of the administration, has been clearly communicated to the Israeli government.
Senior US administration officials have stressed the imperative to avoid hitting UN shelters, hospitals, as well as power and water facilities during the offensive. The unnamed US official further conveyed that Israel had been "receptive" to these warnings.
As a response to the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas, Israel launched an offensive resulting in the displacement of an estimated 1.7 million people in Gaza, as reported by the United Nations. Israel contends that 1,200 people were killed, and around 250 were kidnapped in these attacks. However, the Gaza Strip's Hamas government reports that nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory ground and air operations.
Amid the ongoing temporary truce, three US military aid flights carrying assistance for Gaza began arriving in Egypt on Tuesday. Washington aims to expedite aid delivery during the truce. Despite strong support for Israel, President Biden's administration has increasingly expressed concern over the high Palestinian casualties.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to make his third wartime visit to the Middle East this week. Meanwhile, US and Israeli intelligence chiefs have arrived in Doha to discuss the "next phase" of the deal between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
