In a significant departure from its historically unwavering support for Israel, the Biden administration is displaying a more nuanced stance on the recent Israel-Hamas conflict. Thousands of Palestinians who lost their lives in Israel’s attacks on Gaza over the past three weeks are now being acknowledged as individuals who “did not deserve to die” by Jake Sullivan, the United States’ National Security Advisor. In an interview with ABC News, Sullivan emphasized the necessity for Israel to adhere to international humanitarian law and the laws of war in safeguarding civilian populations, even as Hamas uses them as shields.
The conflict’s devastating toll is evident, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting the deaths of at least 8,000 Palestinians, including over 3,300 children and 2,000 women, due to Israeli military bombardments. This number is projected to rise as Israel continues its ground offensive and ongoing aerial attacks.
Israel’s actions, retaliatory in nature, followed a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, which claimed the lives of about 1,400 people in Israel and took over 200 hostages. Sullivan maintains that Israel has the right and duty to protect itself against terrorists but must also distinguish between terrorists and innocent civilians.p
These remarks by Sullivan come in the wake of mass protests across the United States, calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to American financial and political support for Israel. In New York, protesters occupied Grand Central station, with the event organized by progressive groups like Jewish Voices for Peace and IfNotNow, underscoring the growing dissatisfaction with U.S. policy.
President Biden’s recent skepticism regarding the veracity of the Palestinian death toll reported by Gaza’s health ministry has triggered controversy. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on the President to apologize for these remarks, which they deemed “shocking and dehumanizing.” This issue has intensified anger among progressives, including Arab Americans, whose support was instrumental in Biden’s 2020 election victory.
The release of two American hostages by Hamas last week, while significant, leaves more than 200 individuals from various countries still held captive. The Biden administration’s primary focus remains securing the safe passage of Americans in Gaza.
In Gaza, approximately 2.3 million Palestinians are trapped, lacking access to food, water, and essential medicines, resulting in what international human rights groups have previously described as an “apartheid state” and an “open-air prison.”
Sullivan, however, faces criticism for an essay he penned in Foreign Affairs shortly before the sudden and shocking attack by Hamas, where he indicated efforts to de-escalate crises in Gaza. The latest weekend bombardment, described as the most intense of the war, occurred during a communications blackout after Israel shut down Gaza’s communication networks.
Protesters from various parts of the United States are expected to converge on the capital in the coming week, in what is anticipated to be the largest pro-Palestinian demonstration to date.
As events continue to unfold, the Biden administration finds itself navigating the complexities of the Israel-Hamas conflict, attempting to strike a balance between its historical support for Israel and growing public demand for a more measured approach.