The Biden Administration may be publicly admonishing the Israeli government about minimizing civilian harm in Gaza, but Israel is not feeling the pressure. “There have been some public statements that appear as though the U.S. is turning in a different direction, but I don’t think that is the case,” an unnamed Israeli official told the Times of Israel this morning. He clarified that the U.S. has concerns regarding “collateral damage and humanitarian issues” that it continues to raise, but that Israel is attentive to them. “We really listen to them and we do what we can [to address their concerns], as long as it doesn’t undermine our ability to operate on the ground militarily.”
The official pointed to the 1,000 trucks of humanitarian aid that have been allowed into Gaza since Oct. 21, the so-called humanitarian corridors that Israel has set up allowed Palestinians to flee south and the establishment of field hospitals in the south. In reality, none of these measures is alleviating the lethal conditions facing Palestinians, but the Israelis are apparently hoping the optics will look good.
