Civilian deaths in Gaza changing opinions in US
\nLONDON\/ WASHINGTON
\nThousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in London on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza amid ongoing bombardments by Israel in the besieged territory.
\nIt was the fourth consecutive week that the British capital was the venue for a large rally in support of Palestinians since last month. At the rally, held in Trafalgar Square in central London, protesters waved Palestinian flags and held placards calling for an immediate ceasefire. One group of protesters held a bundle of fabric, representing a dead baby killed during the Israeli bombing campaign.
\nSama Dababneh, 26, a Jordanian business consultant who came to the rally with her Palestinian friends, said they were tired of the stream of upsetting images coming from Gaza. \u201cWe came here to support the ceasefire,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cWe spend the whole week consuming the news and this is very draining, so this is our only form of outlet.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, The United States has witnessed a noticeable change in sentiment regarding Israel\u2019s invasion of Gaza, leading the Biden administration to advise Israelis against prolonging their offensive.
\nA collective statement from 14 US Senators has urged a humanitarian pause in Israel\u2019s actions against Hamas. Additionally, left-wing Democrats in Congress have cited a significant law that restricts aid to security forces involved in human rights abuses to challenge the Biden administration\u2019s emergency military aid programme for Israel.
\n\u201cWe join President Joe Biden in his call for a short-term cessation of hostilities that pose a high risk to civilians, aid workers, or humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza,\u201d the senators wrote in the letter sent to US and Israeli authorities. The senators also underlined three goals:
\nSuccessful delivery of needed humanitarian aid to civilians under strict and necessary oversight.
\nIncreased focus on the release of all prisoners in Gaza.
\nOpportunity for broader discussion amongst Israeli and Palestinian leadership, together with regional and global partners, about long-term strategies to reduce the decades-long conflict in the region.
\nIn a separate move, members of the Democratic Party\u2019s progressive wing warned the administration that the $14.3 billion package pledged to Israel breaches the Leahy Act because Israel\u2019s retaliatory assault on Gaza has overwhelmingly harmed civilians.
\nThe law forbids US assistance to security forces that commit human rights violations.
\n\u201cI am very concerned that our taxpayer dollars may be used for violations of human rights,\u201d said progressive Congressman Andre Carson in an email to The Guardian, in which he accused Israel of \u201cwar crimes\u201d, citing this week\u2019s deadly bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp and the Israeli Defence Forces\u2019 (IDF) alleged use of white phosphorus.
\n\u201cLast year, I voted to provide $3 billion dollars of strategic and security assistance to Israel. But we must absolutely make sure that none of those funds are used inappropriately, in violation of US law like the Leahy Act, or in violation of international law,\u201d Mr Carson wrote.
\nCNN reported on Saturday that President Biden and his senior aides have intensified their warnings to Israel, expressing concerns about the humanitarian crisis and civilian casualties in Gaza. They\u2019ve urged Israel to consider the strategic consequences of eroding international support for their military operations against Hamas, the report added.
\nPresident Biden and his team fear that the global outcry against the suffering in Gaza could soon reach a tipping point, giving Israel limited time to achieve its objectives before facing increased pressure for a ceasefire.
\nThe US media noted that the Biden administration has refrained from setting explicit red lines for Israel but has urged actions to ease humanitarian suffering and reduce civilian deaths. They\u2019ve called for temporary humanitarian pauses, distinct from a ceasefire, to aid hostage releases and allow aid into Gaza.
\nWhile Israeli airstrikes have continued, Biden and his aides are alarmed by the humanitarian situation and have been pressing Israel to take steps to alleviate the crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Civilian deaths in Gaza changing opinions in US LONDON\/ WASHINGTON Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in London on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza amid ongoing bombardments by Israel in the besieged territory. It was the fourth consecutive week that the British capital was the venue for a large rally in support of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":366307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-366290","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n