WASHINGTON: About 70 former U.S. officials including diplomats and army officers have asked US President Joe Biden to warn Israel of grave consequences if it refutes civil rights and basic necessities to Palestinian people and increases settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, western media reported on Thursday.
The group made the demand in an open letter to President Biden and said, the US must be willing to take solid action to oppose such actions in occupied West Bank. Among the signatories were a dozen former diplomats, former officials of State Department, Pentagon, intelligence and White House, including Anthony Lake, a national security adviser to ex-President Clinton.
Former US Officials Ask Biden to Warn Israel of Serious Consequences
The letter also underscored rising dismay in the US over Israeli brutal attacks against Gaza. Much of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed and about 32,000 Palestinian people killed, Gaza health officials said. The UN says the population of 2.3 million has very little food, shelter, water and food shortages in many parts exceed starvation levels.
The group said that Israel’s operations “have been marked by repeated violations of global law banning indiscriminate killing and the use of arms that do not allow discrimination between civilians and combatants.
The group added that tens of thousands of civilians mostly women and children have been killed in Gaza and civilian killings cannot be justified.
The group further said that it strongly supports President Biden’s call for an immediate ceasefire of at least 6 weeks, the formation of a reliable humanitarian aid delivery system, and the release of captives.
