Promoting Caution and Humanitarian Approach: Barack Obama’s Call for Israel’s Military Strategy

2023-10-24 05:55:00

Former US President Barack Obama called on Israel to exercise caution in military operations following the terrorist attack by the Islamist organization Hamas on October 7th. “It is particularly important, as President (Joe) Biden has repeatedly emphasized, that Israel’s military strategy respects international law, including laws aimed at preventing, to the greatest extent possible, the death or suffering of civilians,” Obama wrote in one on Monday on the site barackobama.medium.com published article. Thousands of Palestinians have already died in the bombing of the Gaza Strip, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

“The world is watching closely how events develop in the region”: Barack Obama. (archive image)

Getty Images via AFP/Win McNamee

Obama further wrote that following the “unspeakable brutality” of Hamas, Israel has the right to defend its citizens once morest such wanton violence. He fully supports US President Joe Biden, who has pledged support to Israel in “pursuing Hamas, destroying its military capabilities and facilitating the safe return of hundreds of hostages to their families.” As Biden recently noted, the United States has sometimes fallen short of its high values, even in war.

After the Hamas massacre, it is understandable that many Israelis are demanding their government do whatever it takes to root out Hamas and ensure that such attacks never happen once more, Obama wrote. “Nevertheless, the world is closely watching events unfold in the region, and any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human cost might ultimately backfire.”

“The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a trapped civilian population not only threatens to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; “It might also harden Palestinian attitudes for generations and undermine global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies and undermine long-term efforts for peace and stability in the region.” Obama added that it is important that those who support Israel promote a strategy “that can take out Hamas while minimizing further civilian casualties.” (DPA)

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