The leaders of the United States and Israel are set to hold a crucial phone discussion on Thursday, following Washington’s expression of “outrage” over Israel’s killing of seven aid workers in Gaza. The attack, which resulted in the death of six foreign staff members and one Palestinian employee of the US-based charity World Central Kitchen (WCK), has sparked strong condemnation worldwide, including from President Joe Biden.
The phone discussions between President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will focus on Israel’s military operations in Gaza, including its plans to send ground forces into Rafah, a densely crowded city in Gaza’s far southern region. The US president has supported Israel in the almost six-month-old war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack and has kept up military supplies to its regional ally. However, amid rising domestic anger at the war in a US election year, his administration has also voiced frustration with Israel’s right-wing premier over the conduct of the war and the suffering of Gazans.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also expressed his outrage at the aid workers’ killings, emphasizing the need to protect aid workers and civilians and for a rapid increase of aid into Gaza, particularly to communities in northern Gaza that are at risk of famine. The Israeli military has pledged to investigate the incident and has vowed to ensure the evacuation of Palestinian civilians and the flow of humanitarian aid in any potential military operation in Rafah.
Also Read: Israel Says Strike That Killed Gaza Aid Workers Was Unintentional
The Israeli army has also increased manpower and drafted reserve soldiers to the IDF Aerial Defense Array, following a situational assessment. The move comes as Netanyahu has faced intense domestic pressure from the families and supporters of the hostages still held in Gaza and from a resurgent anti-government protest movement.
The bloodiest ever Gaza war began with Hamas’s October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,170 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 33,037 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Palestinian militants also took more than 250 hostages on October 7, and 130 remain in Gaza, including 34 who the army says are dead.
In war-torn Gaza, where vast areas have been reduced to rubble, 2.4 million Palestinians have struggled under bombardment while enduring dire shortages of food, water, fuel, and other basic supplies. The charity Oxfam said that people in northern Gaza have been forced to survive on an average of 245 calories a day — less than a can of beans, and a fraction of the recommended average daily 2,100 calorie intake per person.
The group WCK, which called the strikes on Monday “targeted”, suspended its Gaza operations and sent ships laden with undelivered supplies back to their Mediterranean port in Cyprus. Other aid groups have curtailed or reassessed their operations, with the UN on Tuesday pausing nighttime movement for the “evaluation of the security issues”. The International Committee of the Red Cross also warned that “humanitarian aid organizations are unable to carry out their work safely”.
In conclusion, the phone discussions between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu are expected to address the growing concerns over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the need to protect aid workers and civilians. The US administration’s frustration with Israel’s right-wing premier over the conduct of the war and the suffering of Gazans is also likely to be a key topic of discussion. The international community’s outrage over the killing of aid workers and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza highlights the urgent need for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
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