Talking for 45 Minutes on the Telephone, President Biden Urges PM Netanyahu to Pay Attention to the Safety of Civilians

United States President Joe Biden. (Wikimedia Commons/The White House)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that Israel should not launch a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to guarantee the safety of the estimated 1 million people taking refuge there, the White House said.

The two leaders spoke by telephone for 45 minutes, days after President Biden called Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip "excessive", expressing great concern over the increasing number of civilian casualties in the Palestinian enclave, reported by Reuters, February 12.

The call largely focused on ongoing efforts to secure the release of 132 hostages still being held by the Hamas militant group in Gaza, a senior government official told reporters, underscoring the "real progress" made in recent weeks.

While there are still some "significant" gaps to be resolved, the official said the deal was "quite accomplished," adding President Biden had stressed the need to leverage the progress to "secure the release of all hostages as soon as possible."

President Biden also emphasized his view that "military operations in Rafah cannot continue without a credible, workable plan to ensure the safety and support of the more than 1 million people now sheltering there," the official said.

President Biden's firm warning against a military operation in Rafah comes amid warnings from aid agencies who say such an attack could lead to more deaths, and fears it could derail efforts to free the hostages.

"The president was clear in his comments about Israel's actions in Gaza," the official said, saying the United States supports the need to defeat Hamas, but has repeatedly warned Israel they must ensure innocent civilians are protected.

On the other hand, Israeli leaders have told Washington officials that moving civilians to safety is an "obvious prerequisite" for their military operations, the official said.

"They have made it clear that they will not consider any surgery without it," he said.

On this occasion, President Biden also emphasized Uncle Sam's long-term security support for Israel, but also called for urgent and specific steps to increase humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza.

The White House said President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to remain in close contact, but did not give an estimated date for the next talks.

It is known that the health authorities in Gaza said in a statement last Saturday that at least 28,064 Palestinians had been killed and 67,611 others injured as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7.

It was explained that around 70 percent of those killed were women or children under 18 years old. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the Palestinian Health Ministry's system for reporting casualties as "excellent" and UN agencies regularly quote death toll figures.