Do Not Call for Israeli Ceasefire in Gaza: Says Biden Administration

As calls grow around the world to stop the Israeli genocide of Palestinians, EU officials say they fear the world is 'about to see massive ethnic cleansing'

OCT 14, 2023

(Photo Credit: Ali Mahmoud/AP)

The US State Department has directed officials against issuing public statements over the Israeli blitz on civilians in Gaza that include three specific phrases: “de-escalation/ceasefire,” “end to violence/bloodshed,” and “restoring calm,” according to internal emails reviewed by the Huffington Post.

Moreover, the emails were sent a few hours after Israel issued a sudden order for 1.1 million Palestinians to immediately evacuate northern Gaza on 13 October, a move authorities in Gaza called “psychological warfare.”

Hundreds of those who followed Israel's orders later fell victim to an indiscriminate airstrike that killed dozens of civilians.

“What Israel is doing is not retaliation; it is defending the lives of its people,” US State Secretary Anthony Blinken said from Qatar on Friday.

US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin voiced a similar sentiment from Israel during a joint news conference with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, saying, “Make no mistake: The United States will make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself.”

Since the start of the historic Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which saw less than 1,000 Palestinian resistance fighters storm dozens of Israeli settlements and army bases in the Gaza envelope, the US has been unflinching in its support for the atrocities being committed in Gaza by Tel Aviv.

“I’ve seen some of those statements this weekend. And we’re going to continue to be very clear: We believe they are wrong, we believe they’re repugnant, and we believe they’re disgraceful,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on 10 October about a group of US lawmakers who called for a ceasefire in the world's largest open-air prison.

Nonetheless, Bloomberg reports that inside the White House, fears are growing that “Israel doesn’t have a plan for what comes next for Gaza after an invasion,” with officials pressing Tel Aviv to think beyond the immediate goal of eradicating Hamas."

In the EU, fears are also growing about the brutal violence being unleashed on two million civilians in Gaza, with one EU diplomat telling the Financial Times: “We may be about to see massive ethnic cleansing."

However, FT goes on to say that officials in Brussels reportedly argue that such sentiments are better conveyed “face to face with the Israelis” rather than in a public call. This despite having “very little confidence … that Israel will listen to calls for restraint.”

“European diplomats have also been struck by how little interest the Israeli government has shown in prioritizing the lives of the hostages held in Gaza — some of whom come from European countries,” Gideon Rachman, the Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator for FT, goes on to add.

Israel's blitz in Gaza has killed over 2,200 Palestinians, including more than 700 children, as warplanes have dropped more bombs in one week onto the besieged strip than the US army did in a year in Afghanistan.

Residential buildings, hospitals, schools, vital infrastructure, and even entire neighborhoods have been razed. Among those killed are journalists, UN workers, and first responders.

In the occupied West Bank, at least 53 Palestinians have been killed over the past week and about 400 have been detained.

Israel this week cut off Gaza's electricity, water, food, and fuel supplies, with reports saying those inside would be cut off from having internet access on Saturday.

“It has become a matter of life and death. It is a must; fuel needs to be delivered now into Gaza to make water available for 2 million people,” Philippe Lazzarini, the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) commissioner-general, said in a statement on 14 October.

“Clean water is running out in Gaza after its water plant and public water networks stopped working. People are now forced to use dirty water from wells, increasing risks of waterborne diseases,” the statement added.

No aid has reached the 2.3 million residents of Gaza since Israel bombed the strip's only crossing into Egypt.