Source: Mondoweiss.net
Even Joe Biden admits that Israel’s conduct in Gaza is “over the top,” while the Israeli army has continued to intensify its attacks following Netanyahu’s rejection of Hamas’s most recent ceasefire proposal.
Casualties
- 27,947+ Palestinians killed in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children.
- 67,459+ Palestinians injured.
Key Developments
- U.S. announces that it will not support an “unplanned” ground operation in Rafah.
- U.S. President Joe Biden criticizes Israel’s actions in Gaza as “over the top.”
- Israeli military intensifies attacks on Rafah, despite warnings.
- Israeli snipers murdered at least 17 people outside of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
- UN: 500,000 children out of school in Gaza.
- ActionAid: Food in Gaza is becoming so rare that people are eating grass.
- Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollah travels to Beirut to meet with “senior Lebanese officials and resistance group leaders.”
- Eleven Palestinians arrested in raids in West Bank.
- Saudi Arabia hosts top Arab diplomats, calling for immediate ceasefire and recognition of a Palestinian state.
- U.S. army intelligence officers says Israel has killed one-third of Hamas fighters.
U.S. opposes ‘unplanned’ military operation in Rafah
The United States has warned that it will not support an “unplanned” military operation in Rafah without due consideration for displaced Palestinians who are sheltering there.
“We haven’t seen any plans that would convince us that they [the Israeli military] is about to, or imminently going to conduct any major operations in Rafah,” said U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby, addressing a White House Press Conference on Thursday.
“More than one million Palestinians are sheltering in and around Rafah,” he continued. “The Israeli military has a special obligation as they conduct operations there or anywhere else to make sure that they’re factoring in protection for innocent civilian life.”
U.S. President Joe Biden echoed his concerns, giving a speech where he referred to Israel’s actions in Gaza as “over the top,” in a stark departure from his usual unequivocal support of Israel.
Biden’s comments come following several protests across the country calling for a ceasefire, as well as increased political pressure from the Palestinian and Arab-American community to not support Biden during the 2024 election campaign, given his inaction on Gaza.
The Council on Islamic Relations has also called on the Biden administration to secure the release of two U.S. citizens kidnapped by Israeli forces in Gaza. …