USA (Washington Insider Magazine) — On Monday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reached Israel. The main objective of his visit is to urge Binyamin Netanyahu to reduce its combat operations in war-wrecked Gaza. The significant visit seems to result from the increasing international pressure from Western countries. Recently, France, the UK, and Germany have demanded a cease-fire in the region.
Israel also faced outrage from a global rights group over the intensity of its war with Hamas in Gaza due to civilian deaths and hunger among Palestinians. According to reports, around 19,000 Palestinians have died, 52,000 people have been wounded and almost 8,000 missing.
Israel accuses Hamas of civilian deaths. It uses them as human shields when operating in dense, residential areas. The clash started on October 7 following a Hamas attack on Israeli civilians and has led to considerable losses and devastation, especially in northern Gaza. For more than two months, there have been no significant developments to end consistent Israeli bombardment on densely populated Gaza. The visit of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is the latest U.S. official to Tel Aviv to push for a shift from high-intensity action from IDF to cease fire. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown accompanies Austin. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also visited Tel Aviv for discussions with Israelis last week.
Austin tweeted that he will “reiterate America’s ironclad commitment to Israel, discuss IDF ops to dismantle Hamas, & underscore the need to protect civilians from harm & enable the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.” In an earlier tweet, Austin said he intends to travel to Bahrain and Qatar “to emphasize U.S. commitments to strengthening regional security and stability and working with partners and allies to advance defense capabilities.”
The US government has stayed firmly after Israel in its stated objective to crush Hamas. However, in recent weeks, the Biden administration has expressed increasing concern about the number of civilian deaths in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis. President Biden has demanded Israel to be concentrated on how to save civilian lives. Austin, in an address earlier this month, cautioned Israel that it risked “strategic defeat” if it didn’t minimize Palestinian casualties.
In New York, a renewed proposal for a cease-fire is about to be tabled in the U.N. Security Council to allow the passage of humanitarian aid. The U.S. once used its Security Council veto to block a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce.
On U.S. request, Israel also reopened its main route crossing with Gaza to allow more aid. However, the amount remains less as requirements have increased, and fighting blocks delivery in many areas. The area has experienced heavy fighting in recent days. No one can recover the martyrs or take the injured to hospitals.
On the other hand, Hamas has held several Israeli citizens captive, and the Israeli government has been facing protests from the public to hold talks with Hamas. Hamas is still holding around 129 captives after most of the rest were freed in return for IDF’s release of 240 Palestinian prisoners during a truce last month. Hamas has said no more hostages will be released until the war ends. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already pledged to attain total victory over Gaza’s ruling Hamas. He insists that IDF will continue its actions until Hamas is defeated and its military capabilities are diminished.
According to HRW, Israeli forces purposely stopped the delivery of water, food, and fuel. Further, IDF demolishes agricultural areas and deprives people of items required for survival.
HRW, a group based in the USA, stated in a report.”The Israeli government is using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in the occupied Gaza Strip,” HRW urged World leaders to speak out against this horrendous war crime.
Pope Francis has also urged the world to draw attention to innocent civilians being killed in Gaza. News of an Israeli sniper shooting two Palestinian Christian women sheltering at Holy Family Parish in northern Gaza caught the eyes of the World. Francis contended that there were no militants at the church but rather children, nuns, families, and people who were sick or had disabilities.