US President Joe Biden’s administration appears to be stepping up pressure on Israel to ensure the safety of the Palestinians.
The Israeli army has resumed attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip after a seven-day truce broke down.
More than 15,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of October, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The limited number of aid trucks heading to Gaza is nowhere near enough to meet the desperate needs of millions of people, aid agencies say, and the United Nations has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe.
After nearly two months of war between Israel and Hamas, the United States, a key ally of Israel, appears to be changing its tone and warning of civilian deaths in Gaza.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Israel risks a “strategic defeat” if it does not do more to protect civilians.
It’s a sentiment shared by other senior U.S. officials.
So, what is behind this warning from Washington?
Presenter: Laura Kyle
Guests:
Bushra Khalidi – policy manager for the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel at Oxfam
Elijah Magnier – military and political analyst
Hussein Haridi – former Deputy Foreign Minister of Egypt