US Defense Chief Visits Israel To Mitigate Gaza Conflict
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Israel is under scrutiny from the visiting US defense chief and condemnation from a global rights group for the severity of its conflict with Hamas in Gaza, leading to an increase in civilian casualties and widespread hunger among Palestinians. Despite the ongoing bombardment and siege of the densely populated enclave for over two months, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is the latest US official to travel to Israel, urging a shift away from high-intensity warfare.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed determination to achieve complete victory over Gaza’s ruling Hamas fighters, who, according to Israeli estimates, killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages in a surprise raid on October 7 into Israel.
“It’s critical to understand this is not simply a byproduct of the conflict, an unfortunate result of a terrible situation. It is Israeli government policy.”
🔊 Listen to @astroehlein’s Daily Brief on Israel using starvation as a weapon of war in #Gaza: https://t.co/vtpH8S9u7m pic.twitter.com/WkoTnyXoHv
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) December 18, 2023
Read more : Israel-Qatar Meeting Raises Gaza Hostage Talks Prospect
The war has left the Gaza Strip in ruins, resulting in approximately 19,000 Palestinian casualties, according to health authorities. The 2.3 million people in the territory are facing a scarcity of food, collapsed basic services, and widespread homelessness.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israeli forces in its report of deliberately obstructing the delivery of water, food, and fuel, demolishing agricultural areas, and depriving people of essential survival items. HRW characterized the Israeli government’s actions as using the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in the occupied Gaza Strip, urging world leaders to condemn this alleged war crime.
