US Pressures Israel to Minimize Civilian Casualties: "Innocent Palestinian Residents Are Dying"

As Israel resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip following the breakdown of ceasefire negotiations with the Palestinian armed group Hamas, the United States strongly demanded on the 3rd (local time) that measures be taken to minimize Palestinian casualties.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the U.S. government attending the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), stated at a local press conference the day before, "Too many innocent Palestinian civilians have died."

She added, "The videos and photos of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip are horrific," emphasizing, "We believe Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians while pursuing its military objectives in Gaza."

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also said at the Reagan Defense Forum, "The focus in this kind of fight is on civilians," adding, "If civilians are sent into the enemy’s hands, a tactical victory will become a strategic failure."

The White House also highlighted Israel’s efforts to protect civilians. John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, said in a broadcast interview that Israel posted maps online for the evacuation of Gaza civilians, noting, "Not many militaries announce things in that way," and explained, "They are making efforts (to protect citizens)."

He continued, "We believe Israel is receiving the message that it must minimize civilian casualties," and said, "We will do our best to help Israel minimize civilian harm as much as possible."

At the same time, the White House continuously emphasized that the cause of the ceasefire negotiation breakdown lies with Hamas. Coordinator Kirby said, "It is important to remember that the negotiations broke down because Hamas refused to present an additional (hostage release) list."

He added, "Neither side (Israel and Hamas) is willing to return to the negotiating table," but stressed, "We are working very hard every hour to see if both sides can come back to the table and make progress."

The Biden administration’s expression of support for Israel while emphasizing the minimization of civilian casualties appears to stem from concerns that rising civilian deaths could further weaken President Joe Biden’s support as he faces a re-election challenge. Previously, Israel faced intense international criticism after raiding Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

Recent polls show President Joe Biden trailing former President Donald Trump, and if the resumption of hostilities leads to a sharp increase in Palestinian casualties, criticism from Arab Americans and progressive groups could intensify.

Earlier last month, a survey revealed that Biden’s support among Arab Americans had dropped by more than 40 percentage points, and Arab Americans declared the day before that they would campaign against Biden in key battleground states in the upcoming presidential election.