This is what Washington requested from Israel in the event of an attack on southern Gaza
The United States has urged Israel to limit the combat zone and clarify the locations Palestinians can seek for safety during any Israeli operation in the southern Gaza Strip. This is to prevent a repetition of the high casualty toll in Israeli attacks in the northern region.
US officials, starting from President Joe Biden to the Departments of State and Defense, have implored Israel to adopt a more cautious approach if the Israeli army expands its attack to the southern sector, according to what Reuters reported on Wednesday.
A third of the Gaza Strip‘s population, numbering 2.3 million people, has fled to the south to avoid the war zone in the north. The Israeli operation in the north has drawn sharp international criticism, and Biden faced criticism domestically for his widespread support for Israel.
Two US officials provided some details, stating that Washington understands Israel’s desire to eliminate Hamas fighters in southern Gaza but believes there is a need for more caution in the densely populated area.
One official indicated that many of the key planners for Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7th are present in the south.
The official continued, “But considering that hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled to the south at Israel’s request, we believe Israel should not proceed until it takes into account operational planning, considering the presence of many innocents.” The official added that planning should include extracting lessons from operations conducted in the north to enhance the protection of innocent civilians, “including matters such as reducing the combat zone and clarifying areas civilians can resort to.”
The second official stated that when Israel was planning its attack on northern Gaza, US officials advised Israelis to use less force than initially planned and to exercise caution regarding tactics, movements, unit sizes, and rules of engagement.
The official clarified that they are still in the planning stage for the south, and they urge Israel to consider this in their planning. Both officials emphasized that the United States wants Israelis to ensure they know the locations of civilians, focus on specific high-value targets, and make sure they are targeting specific sites rather than conducting indiscriminate strikes.
The Israeli army had announced that it divided the besieged strip into two parts: “Southern Gaza and Northern Gaza.” Israel asked civilians to evacuate the north of the sector since mid-October, where the fighting is intense, and head to the south.
Many families leaving Gaza City for the south have reported losing their relatives in Israeli airstrikes in the south.
