The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in his strongest public criticism of Israel's conduct of the war on Hamas in south Gaza, said there was a gap between the government's declared intentions to protect civilians and the casualties.
"As we stand here almost a week into this campaign into the south ... it remains imperative that Israel put a premium on civilian protection," Blinken said at a press conference following a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron in Washington on Thursday.
The Israeli military has released the names of two soldiers killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip. They are Master Sergeant (res.) Eyal Meir Berkowitz, 28 from Jerusalem, and Sergeant Major (res.) Kobi.
"And there does remain a gap between ... the intent to protect civilians and the actual results that we're seeing on the ground," Blinken said.
Israel says it must wipe out the Hamas militant group after it attacked Israel two months ago and is doing everything possible to get civilians out of harm's way, including warnings about military operations.
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke separately by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah on Thursday. Biden "emphasized the critical need to protect civilians and to separate the civilian population from Hamas including through corridors that allow people to move safely from defined areas of hostilities," the White House said.
More than 17,170 Palestinians have been killed and 46,000 wounded, according to the Gaza health ministry, since Oct. 7, when Israel began bombarding Gaza in response to a cross-border rampage by Hamas militants who control the enclave. The Hamas attack killed 1,200 people, with 240 people taken hostage, according to Israel's tally.
Hundreds more Palestinians were killed as Israel fought Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip's biggest cities on Thursday - 350 people according to Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra. Israel said its forces killed several gunmen in Khan Younis, including two who emerged firing from a tunnel.
