The President of the United States, Joe Biden, warned on Thursday (February 15, 2024) in a new conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he was against an offensive in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip because of concerns about the safety of the civilian population.
“The President … reiterated his position that a military operation should not be undertaken without a credible and actionable plan to ensure the protection and assistance of civilians in Rafah,” a White House readout of the call said.
The call between the two leaders on Thursday was the second in less than a week.
The White House said Biden warned Netanyahu not to enter the southern Gaza Strip without a plan to ensure the safety of the millions of people housed there.
The hostage is about to be released
They also discussed ongoing hostage negotiations and Biden promised to continue working tirelessly to free the prisoners who have now been held by the terrorist group Hamas for 132 days, according to the House reading of the call. White.
Israeli forces said Thursday they had carried out a raid on Gaza's largest hospital. This raid raised alarm among hundreds of patients and medical staff, as well as the many displaced Palestinians who had fled the war and were staying there.
The hospital fighting comes as Israel faces growing international pressure to exercise restraint after announcing a military offensive in Rafah, the last relatively safe haven in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this month, Biden claimed Israel's military response in Gaza was “excessive” and expressed deep concern about the rising number of civilian deaths in the Palestinian enclave.
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Apocalyptic situation in Gaza; Israel is expanding its attacks
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