Thousands of Palestinians killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza over the past three weeks “did not deserve to die,” the U.S. national security adviser has said, marking a significant softening of the Biden administration’s tough support for Israel.
In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Jake Sullivan, the White House’s top security adviser, said that Hamas is “hiding” behind civilians, but that does not diminish Israel’s “responsibility under international humanitarian law and the laws of war to do everything in its power.” do. “Power to protect the civilian population”.
“Thousands of Palestinian civilians have died in this conflict and that is an absolute tragedy… These people do not deserve to die. “These people deserve to live in peace, security and dignity,” Sullivan told ABC’s This Week.
According to the Gaza Strip Health Ministry, at least 8,000 Palestinians, including more than 3,300 children and more than 2,000 women, have been killed by Israel’s military bombardment of Gaza. The death toll is expected to rise as Israel continues its ground offensive, in addition to ongoing airstrikes.
Israel’s current offensives were launched in retaliation for the surprise cross-border attack on October 7 in which Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, killed about 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostages in Israel.
“Israel has the right – indeed the duty – to defend itself against terrorists. “Israel also has a responsibility to distinguish between terrorists and ordinary civilians,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan’s comments come after another weekend of mass protests across the country demanding an immediate ceasefire and an end to America’s financial and political support for Israel. In New York, thousands of people occupied the Grand Central train station during rush hour Friday evening in an act of civil disobedience organized by the progressive groups Jewish Voices for Peace and IfNotNow.
HAPPENING NOW: We’re there @jvplive Takeover of Grand Central Station upon request #ceasefireNOW.
As the Israeli government starves in the dark, bombs and raids the people of Gaza, the actions we take in the coming days and weeks will determine our lives. pic.twitter.com/Xhh1aKuv2F
— IfNotNow🔥 (@IfNotNowOrg) October 27, 2023
Hundreds of protesters were arrested at Grand Central amid chants of “Let Gaza live” and “Never again for anyone, never again is now” – a slogan associated with the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides.
Many Jewish people came to demand a ceasefire instead of going to the temple tonight: “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea.” pic.twitter.com/o410hiNMji
— Nina Lakhani (@ninalakhani) October 27, 2023
Thousands sit at Grand Central Station demanding one #ceasefireNOW.
In just two weeks, more than 7,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis were killed. Israeli warplanes are currently leveling entire neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip. This is what the US government supports. pic.twitter.com/QybGb9j3XV
— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) October 28, 2023
Sullivan’s comments on civilian deaths came after Biden expressed doubts about the accuracy of the daily Palestinian death toll reported by the Gaza Strip Health Ministry.
“I have no idea that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are being killed. “I am sure that innocent people have been killed and that is the price of war,” the US president said last week. “But I have no confidence in the number the Palestinians are using.”
UN organizations and Human Rights Watch have checked and verified the health authority’s figures over many years and have found no major discrepancies.
Biden’s comments sparked widespread outrage, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on the president to apologize for his “shocking and dehumanizing” remarks. Anger is growing among progressives, including Arab Americans, whose vote was crucial to Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Two American hostages were released by Hamas last week, but Israel says more than 200 people from dozens of countries remain captive. Ensuring the safe passage of Americans remains the Biden administration’s priority, Sullivan said on newscasts Sunday.
When asked about the status of Americans and other foreigners stuck at Gaza’s Rafah crossing, CNN’s Jake Tapper told Sullivan: “Hamas has blocked their departure and is making their demands… that is the same priority for us as that, what we get.” the hostages out.
Around 2.3 million Palestinians are stuck without food, water or medicine in Gaza, which was described by international human rights groups as an “apartheid state” and an “open-air prison” even before this bloody conflict.
Sullivan has come under fire for an essay published in Foreign Affairs magazine just five days before Hamas’ surprise and shocking attack on Israel, in which he wrote, “We have de-escalated the crises in Gaza” amid “severe” tensions “.
The weekend bombardment – described by Gazans as the heaviest of the war – was carried out in a blackout after Israel cut off communications in the area late Friday. Some communications were restored across much of the Gaza Strip early Sunday.
Protesters from across the US are expected to flock to the capital next Saturday in what is expected to be the largest pro-Palestinian protest yet.