Washington. The United States does not believe genocide is taking place in Gaza, but believes Israel must do more to protect Palestinian citizens, President Joe Biden's national security adviser said Monday.
As cease-fire talks stalled and Israel continued to attack the southern city of Rafah, adviser Jack Sullivan insisted that responsibility for peace lay with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
“We believe Israel can and should do more to ensure the safety and well-being of innocent civilians. We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is genocide,” Sullivan told reporters.
To arrive at this assessment, the US “uses an internationally accepted term for genocide, which focuses on intent,” the official added.
According to Sullivan, Biden wanted to see Hamas defeated, but felt that the Palestinian civilians were in “hell”.
The national security adviser, amid criticism from both ends of the US political spectrum, said he was taking the White House podium to “take a step back” and present the Biden administration's position on the conflict.
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