Israel acknowledged the need to be careful about protecting civilians in its discussions with the US, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, as fighting resumed in Gaza.
Kirby said the US continues to support Israel, and Hamas remains a “legitimate target,” but the US wants to ensure the offensive against the militant group is “in accordance with the law of war and that they do everything they can to minimize civilian casualties.”
“They agree that they need to be careful and be mindful of the civilians, particularly in the south of Gaza,” he said of Israel in an interview Friday on Bloomberg Television’s “Balance of Power.”
“As recently as today, the Israelis using leaflets and other information tools were able to inform the people of Gaza of where the resumption of military operations was likely to occur, so that they could stay out of harm’s way,” he added. “That’s a good sign, that’s a step in the right direction”
Kirby’s comments came after a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas came to an end Friday. Israel has signaled it intends to widen its campaign in the south of Gaza, spurring fears that the humanitarian crisis in the territory will deepen.
The Biden administration has been pressuring Israel to do more to protect civilians. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he told Israeli leaders not to repeat the scale of destruction seen in northern Gaza. Still, the US has not threatened to attach conditions to military and financial assistance to Israel.
Israel is conducting airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza aimed at eliminating Hamas following the group’s Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people and saw about 240 taken hostage. Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by the US and European Union.
The temporary cease-fire saw the two sides release dozens of hostages and prisoners. Additional aid for civilians also flowed into Gaza. The Hamas-run health agency in Gaza says more than 15,000 Palestinians have died since Israel began its retaliatory campaign.
Blinken earlier Friday blamed Hamas for the new round of fighting saying the militant group had reneged on its commitments and fired rockets that killed and wounded civilians. Hamas accused the Israeli government of refusing its hostage-exchange offers on Thursday night.
Israeli jets hit Hamas targets in Gaza shortly after the cease-fire finished at 7 a.m. local time.
Asked about the state of hostages still being held in Gaza, Kirby said they believe there are still captive Americans, and expressed hope that another cease-fire could see more people freed.
“They’re still unaccounted for but our working assumption is that they’re likely in this hostage pool and we’re doing everything we can to try to get more information about them,” he said. “We hope that a resumption, restoration of this pause, can happen soon so that we can continue to work to get more hostages out.”
--With assistance from Joe Mathieu and Annmarie Hordern.