US President Joe Biden spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, during which he said he opposes continuing the military operation in Rafah if it does not take into account the need to ensure the safety of civilians, the White House said.
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“The President addressed the situation in Rafah and reiterated his view that the military operation should not continue without a credible and implementable plan to ensure the safety and support of the civilian population in Rafah,” the US administration said in a statement.
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At the same time, the leaders of the two countries discussed the progress of negotiations with the Hamas movement on the release of the remaining hostages. Another issue on the agenda of the conversation between Biden and Netanyahu was the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as the need to “urgently ensure the supply of necessary humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians who desperately need it.”
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On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented-scale rocket attack from the Gaza Strip as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, announced by the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement. After this, the organization’s fighters entered the border areas in southern Israel, where they opened fire on both military and civilians, and also took more than 200 hostages. In Israel, according to the latest data from the authorities, about 1.2 thousand people were killed, this number includes civilians, soldiers, foreign citizens and workers, and it was also reported that more than 5 thousand were injured.
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In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Within a few days, the Israeli military took control of all populated areas near the border with Gaza and began carrying out air strikes on targets, including civilians, in the strip. Israel also announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip: the supply of water, food, electricity, medicine, and fuel was stopped. At the end of October, the ground phase of the Israeli operation in the enclave began. Gaza City was surrounded by Israeli ground forces, and the enclave was effectively divided into southern and northern parts.
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The death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has reached 28,473, with more than 68,100 people injured, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported.
Hamas claimed that there were about 200-250 hostages in the Gaza Strip. After the end of the truce, Israeli authorities announced that 126 Israelis and 11 foreigners remained hostage with Hamas, and 110 abducted were released.
