The United States is communicating to the Israeli government “at the highest levels” the importance of protecting civilian lives in Gaza, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday, even as he repeatedly declined to say whether Israel was going about its war the right way.
“They’re the ones making decisions, they’re the ones conducting the operations,” Sullivan told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union,” declining to openly criticize any aspect of the new military effort.
President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Sunday – their first known conversation since Israel expanded its ground operations – about the need for the continued flow of aid into Gaza and stressed the importance of protecting civilians lives, according to the White House.
Biden reiterated his support for Israel to defend itself but said the country needs to do so “in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law that prioritizes the protection of civilians,” according to the White House. He also called for significantly increasing the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and discussed efforts to locate hostages held by Hamas.
The US applied pressure on Israel to restore connectivity in Gaza after phone and internet service were badly disrupted late last week, according to a senior US official.
The near-total blackout – which left civilians, aid groups and journalists struggling to communicate with the outside world – came amid heavy Israeli bombardment of the enclave. Service appeared to be gradually restored Sunday.
Speaking to MSNBC on Sunday, Sullivan underscored the importance of communications networks in Gaza, saying, “We do feel strongly that the restoration of that communications was a critical thing.”
“Because aid workers need to be able to communicate,…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply