US Warns Israel Ahead of Next Phase of War in Gaza

The United States will not support Israeli forces expanding their campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip unless a plan is formulated to protect civilians evacuated to the southern half of the territory, the White House has said.

Speaking to reporters during a press call Tuesday, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said that, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) "consider moving their operations to the south" of Gaza, "we have said we don't support those kinds of operations absent a cohesive plan by the Israelis to factor in how they're going to be able to protect what is now mathematically a dramatically increased civilian population in the south."

Kirby noted how this increase was due to the fact that a sizable number of civilians in Gaza "were evacuated from the north at Israel's urging, and we were glad to see that they set up safe corridors in the north for people to get out of the fighting there in north Gaza."

"But now they've added to that population in the south," he added, "and it's even more incumbent upon the Israelis to make sure before they begin operations down there that they have factored in ways in which they can protect those civilians who moved at their urging to the south."

Kirby later doubled down on this position during the call.

"We don't support them moving forward with operations in the south absent a clearly articulated plan for how they're going to protect the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people that have now added to the population in the south because they were asked to leave by the Israelis," Kirby said, "so there's an obligation for them to factor that into their planning."

The IDF declined Newsweek's request for comment.

The IDF began its latest and most intensive ground campaign against Hamas in Gaza late last month after Hamas launched an unprecedented October 7 surprise attack on Israel and the IDF launched its largest-ever bombing campaign against the coastal Palestinian territory. Prior to entering Gaza by land, the IDF had ordered the evacuation of more than 1 million people to evacuate northern Gaza to southern Gaza.

With clashes continuing, the IDF dropped leaflets last week in parts of southern Gaza, calling for residents to evacuate immediately and head to shelters.

IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht told reporters Friday that he was "aware" of the development but said he could not discuss "what our operational plan is" and "it still hasn't been decided yet."

President Joe Biden and his administration have repeatedly expressed support for Israel throughout the conflict and have pledged military aid to the U.S. ally. U.S. officials have also joined in with Israeli counterparts in rejecting international calls for an immediate ceasefire, arguing such a move would only benefit Hamas.

At the same time, Washington has increasingly called for longer humanitarian pauses and a greater flow of aid to Gaza.

Hamas too has demanded greater humanitarian assistance to be allowed into Gaza, as well as the implementation of a ceasefire. The group has also denied Israeli claims that it used hospitals and other protected sites for military operations, claims that have been backed by the Biden administration.

During a press conference Tuesday, a Hamas spokesperson alleged that Israel "is trying to deprive our people of all the foundations of life, so it wages war on hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, bakeries, electricity and water desalination plants...etc., to push and force our people to migrate from Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip towards the south, and to later push them to immigrate to Egypt, with direct cover from the American administration and President Biden."

The news comes amid what's believed to be intensive negotiations amid various parties to secure the release of some of more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas in its October 7 attack in exchange for a temporary ceasefire and humanitarian aid.

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