Close X
Friday, November 22, 2024
ADVT 
International

US urges Israel to end large scale ground invasion in Gaza

Darpan News Desk IANS, 15 Dec, 2023 11:43 AM
  • US urges Israel to end large scale ground invasion in Gaza

Washington, Dec 15 (IANS) The Joe Biden administration in the US, while supporting Israel in its war with Hamas, wants Israel to end its large-scale invasion in Gaza as its apparently hurting civilians in what the west describes as "collective punishment".

US officials stressed on surgical, focussed and targeted attacks on Hamas while protecting the civilians in the enclave.

The Biden administration has told the Israeli government that it wants the country to end its large-scale ground campaign in Gaza and a transition to a more targeted phase of its war against Hamas.

The push comes as the death toll in the Gaza Strip approaches 20,000 -- two-thirds of them women and children -- according to local health officials.

About 1,200 people in Israel were killed in October 7 Hamas attack, according to the Israeli Defense Forces.

The White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan did not specify a timetable for this new phase of the war during his meeting Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, two officials with knowledge of the discussions told the NBC news.

Sullivan had "a heavy discussion" about civilian protection with Israeli officials, a senior administration official said Thursday on a call with reporters.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Sullivan spoke with Netanyahu about "the next phase of Israel's military campaign, and he asked hard questions, as we have been doing, about what all that could look like". Sullivan was briefing the press Thursday at the White House.

US President Joe Biden told reporters at an unrelated event Thursday: "I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives. Not stop going after Hamas -- but be more careful."

President Biden was asked whether he wanted Israel to scale back its assault on Gaza.

"Kirby said that Sullivan also discussed Israel's efforts now undertaking to be more surgical and precise in their targeting and efforts that they are taking to help increase the flow of aid," Biden said.

"There was a discussion in these meetings -- and also in our prior meetings and in calls between the president and the prime minister -- on kind of shifts and emphasis from ... high intensity clearance operations, which are ongoing now, to ultimately lower-intensity focus on high-value targets, intelligence-driven raids and those sorts of more-narrow surgical military objectives," the senior administration official said.

US officials acknowledge it will take months for Israel to take out Hamas leaders, an effort that will continue even if the high-intensity phase of the war moves to a more surgical one.

The debate over the pace of the war comes after Biden warned earlier this week in a speech to campaign donors that Israel was losing global support because of "indiscriminate bombing".

MORE International ARTICLES

Kamala Harris on way to Dubai to attend Climate summit COP 28

Kamala Harris on way to Dubai to attend Climate summit COP 28
US Vice-President Kamala Harris will be the highest ranking executive of the US government attending the COP 28 summit in Dubai in the absence of President Joe Biden said to be busy with the war in Ukraine and Israel–Hamas conflict as well as hostage negotiations. Harris is expected to reach Dubai later on Friday after a pushback over President Biden skipping the opening of the gathering this week amid heavy criticism from climate summit nations.

Kamala Harris on way to Dubai to attend Climate summit COP 28

Over 100 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since truce expired: Hamas

Over 100 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since truce expired: Hamas
Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra said in a press statement that "about 109 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed by the Israeli airstrikes in the Strip", Xinhua news agency reported. According to al-Qedra, two Palestinian journalists were among the victims.

Over 100 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since truce expired: Hamas

Australian Sikh turns to social media to report death threat, verbal abuses

Australian Sikh turns to social media to report death threat, verbal abuses
Questioning police response, a Melbourne-based Sikh shopkeeper turned to social media claiming he has been subjected to verbal abuses and a death threat, leaving him fearing for his life, a media report said. Charanvir Singh, who runs a newspaper and lottery shop in Avondale Heights, north-west of Melbourne, told SBS Punjabi news channel that the ordeal began when he denied service to a customer who failed to provide a valid ID matching a parcel's details.

Australian Sikh turns to social media to report death threat, verbal abuses

3 charged for starving, beating, keeping Indian student as slave for months in US

3 charged for starving, beating, keeping Indian student as slave for months in US
Three Indian-origin men are facing criminal charges in the US for holding a 20-year-old student from India captive and repeatedly beating, starving, forcing him into labour for several months. The victim, who was forced to work at three homes at St. Charles County in Missouri state, was rescued by police officers on Wednesday, County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph McCulloch said.  

3 charged for starving, beating, keeping Indian student as slave for months in US

Missing Indian student found dead on riverbank in UK

Missing Indian student found dead on riverbank in UK
A 23-year-old Indian student, who moved to the UK from India on September 19, was found dead on the bank of Thames river, four days after being reported missing by his family. Mitkumar Patel's body was found on the riverbank at Caledonian Wharf, on the Isle of Dogs, at roughly 10.45 a.m. on November 21 by a passerby, The Standard newspaper reported.

Missing Indian student found dead on riverbank in UK

Starting Jan, 20k H-1B holders will be able to renew their visas in US

Starting Jan, 20k H-1B holders will be able to renew their visas in US
In a move likely to benefit Indian professionals, 20,000 H1B specialty occupation workers will be able to renew their visas in the US beginning from January next year, according to State Department officials. This development comes months after the White House announced a pilot programme for domestic renewal of certain categories of H-1B visas during the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June this year.

Starting Jan, 20k H-1B holders will be able to renew their visas in US