2024-03-20 06:50:16
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called on Israel to refrain from launching an attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, without a plan to ensure the safety of Palestinian civilians.
Austin said following a meeting on Ukraine at the US Ramstein base in Germany on Tuesday, “We were clear that protecting civilians in Gaza should be a priority.”
He added, “No military operation should continue without a clear and implementable plan to evacuate these civilians from the battlefield and care for them following the evacuation.”
The American minister confirmed that his country conveyed its concerns to Israeli officials at all levels, adding that he also conveyed these messages to his Israeli counterpart several times.
Austin said that the US administration expects Israeli officials to protect civilians and allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, while Washington supports Israel’s security.
Despite international warnings, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last Friday his approval of the plans for the possible military operation in Rafah.
Israel has continued its devastating war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, leaving tens of thousands of civilian victims, most of them children and women, a humanitarian catastrophe and massive infrastructure destruction, which led to Tel Aviv appearing before the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide.
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