Israel should not begin military operations against Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip until the military has given due consideration to the safety of Palestinian citizens, said Deputy National Security Advisor John Feiner.
“…If Israel… starts fighting, even in the south, we believe… it has the right to do so,” Feiner told CBS on Sunday. “We believe their operations should not continue until military planning takes into account (the security concerns of) civilians there,” Feiner said. “We will continue to convey to (the Israeli side) our position on this matter, as we already do.”
Recall that Hamas took about 240 hostages during an attack on Israeli settlements on October 7, after which Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza and is taking measures to destroy the armed formations of the group (recognized as a terrorist organization in the United States). .
Israeli bombing left northern Gaza severely damaged and forced around two-thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to move south.
Feiner called on Israel to consider the impact of its military operations in northern Gaza and provide additional protection to civilians by reducing the area of active fighting and identifying places where civilians can find refuge.
On Saturday, Israel warned civilians in southern Gaza to leave the area.
