US Urges Israel to Distinguish Between Terrorists and Civilians in Response

"The overwhelming majority of people in Gaza are innocent civilians whose lives must be protected." As Israel declared the second phase of its war against Hamas and launched a full-scale ground offensive in Gaza, the United States emphasized the need to minimize harm to Palestinian civilians.

Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, stated in an interview with CNN on the 29th (local time), "Hamas is making it extremely difficult for Israel by using civilians as human shields, but that does not reduce Israel's responsibility under international humanitarian law to distinguish between terrorists and civilians," he said.

When asked whether he considers Israel's current operations wise, Sullivan replied, "I will leave the characterization of their operations to Israel. They are the decision-makers and the ones carrying out the operations." He added, "Over the past three weeks, we have engaged in discussions with many Israeli counterparts, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to military leaders, regarding military objectives, measures Israel has taken, and their intent to achieve these goals."

He also said, "I will not respond to every single Israeli attack or action. However, every hour during the military operations, the Israeli military and government must use all possible means to distinguish between terrorists, who are legitimate military targets, and civilians who are not." President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak with Prime Minister Netanyahu later today.

In an interview with ABC, Sullivan said regarding the weapons the U.S. has provided to Israel, "What we provide to Israel is subject to the laws of war, and it is true that measures to protect innocent lives are required when supplying weapons."

When asked if international opinion is shifting more toward the Palestinians as casualties in Gaza increase, he responded, "It is understandable that people in neighboring countries and even the farthest parts of the world see this as a heartbreaking tragedy. In fact, it is a heartbreaking tragedy."

Regarding the possibility of the war expanding to include Iran and others, he said, "We believe Iran understands our message and we are taking all necessary measures to cooperate with other countries in the region to prevent the war from expanding," but added, "The risk is real and we remain on high alert." Sullivan emphasized that the release of hostages remains the top priority.