Bangkok – The U.S. and Britain on Sunday warned about the risks of Israel expanding its air assault on the Gaza Strip into a ground war, while vigorously defending the Jewish state’s right to protect itself against rocket attacks.
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The remarks by President Barack Obama and Britain Foreign Secretary William Hague were part of a diplomatic balancing act by the West as it desperately seeks an end to the escalating violence without alienating its closest ally in the region.
“Israel has every right to expect that it does not have missiles fired into its territory,” President Barack Obama said at a news conference in Bangkok at the start of a three-nation visit to Asia.
“If that can be accomplished without a ramping up of military activity in Gaza, that’s preferable,” Obama said. “It’s not just preferable for the people of Gaza. It’s also preferable for Israelis, because if Israeli troops are in Gaza, they’re much more at risk of incurring fatalities or being wounded.”
The president spoke shortly before an Israeli airstrike leveled a home in a residential neighborhood. Palestinian medical officials said at least 11 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed. The attack was the single deadliest incident of the 5-day-old Israeli operation.
The Israeli military said the target was a top rocket mastermind of the Islamic Jihad militant group. The claim could not be immediately verified, and the attack raised speculation that Israel could face increased international pressure if the civilian death toll continued to rise.
Hague said Hamas, Gaza’s militant rulers, “bears principal responsibility” for initiating the violence and must stop all rocket attacks on Israel. But Hague also made clear the diplomatic risks of an Israeli escalation.
“A ground invasion is much more difficult for the international community to sympathize with or support, including the United Kingdom,” he said.
Israeli officials say the airstrikes are aimed at ending months of rocket fire out of the Hamas-ruled territory. Israel began the offensive with an unexpected airstrike that killed Hamas’ military chief, and since then has targeted suspected rocket launchers and storage sites.
The Mideast ally is now at a crossroads: launch a ground invasion or pursue Egyptian-led truce efforts. But with Israel and Hamas far apart on any terms of cease-fire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting: “The Israeli military is prepared to significantly expand the operation.”
The crisis threatened to overshadow Obama’s trip to Asia, which includes stops in Myanmar and Cambodia as part of a broader effort to expand the U.S. economic and military presence in a region long dominated by China.
So far, the U.S. has thrown its weight behind Israel, and Obama has called on Egypt and Turkey to intervene on Israel’s behalf. Obama said he has told Egypt’s president, Mohammed Morsi, and Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan that “those who champion the cause of the Palestinians should recognize that if we see a further escalation of the situation in Gaza, then the likelihood of us getting back on any kind of peace track that leads to a two-state solution is going to be pushed off way into the future.”
Obama also pointed to the next 48 hours “to see what kind of progress we can make.”
Members of the U.S. Congress, which overwhelmingly supports Israel, criticized Egypt and Turkey for not doing enough to intervene. They said all eyes were on Morsi, Egypt’s first civilian and freely elected leader.
“Egypt, watch what you do and how you do it,” said Sen. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” `’You’re teetering with the Congress on having your aid cut off if you keep inciting violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”
In a separate interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, called Egypt’s response to the crisis “pretty weak” so far.
“I think that they’re going to have to take some very serious steps diplomatically to make it clear to Hamas that they’re going to lose support in the Arab world if they continue these rocket attacks on Israel,” said Levin, D-Mich.
Lawmakers also blamed Iran for arming Hamas militants, and questioned Egypt’s role in that.
“My guess is there has to be some tacit involvement in Egypt and the border or these things wouldn’t be getting in to Gaza,” said Rep. C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., said he thinks the threat of a ground war is overblown.
“I don’t think the Israelis really want a ground war,” he told “Fox News Sunday.” `’They’ll go into Gaza if they feel they need to, to eliminate the remainder of the missiles. … So really, the decision is up to Hamas, as to whether there will be a ground invasion of Gaza or not.”
Ok Mr Smartest President Ever the only other idea is to carpet bomb the g’henim out of these animals all the way back to the days before Oso HaMishugina. This saves lives on the IDF side & gets rid of more slime on that end.
So, British Foreign Secretary Hague is worried about civilian casualties if there is a ground invasion. Tell me, Mr. Hague, was Britain worried about civilian casulaties when it bombed German cities during World War II? Was Britain worried about civilian casualties when it participated in the fire bombing of Dresden, which caused the deaths of an estimated 300,000.00 civilians in one night? Was Britain concerned with civilian casualties when it bombed the Falkland Islands, in that silly war with Argentina? No, when British interests are involved, it is OK, but suddenly Britain has humanitarian concerns about a ground invasion of Gaza, when we know from the last Gaza incursion that Israel went to extremes to protect civilians.
What aren’t the so called Palistinians ever concerned about civilian casualties on either side of the conflict?
I think a better caption for that photo would be “I feel so awkward just standing around while these two yentas can’t stop talking”
If one looks at the military histories of the Uk, EU, Russia, France, Germany, the US etc. they are the last one’s to preach to Israel to use restaint. All of these countries have warned Israel to use restraint. Their so-called support for Israel is very flawed and is mixed with their anti-semitic views. No one would ever dare to preach to any other country to use restraint. In affect they are trying to limit and handcuff Israel to do what has to be done to Hamas. Basically they advocating for the interests of Hamas by trying to limit Israel’s ability to hurt Hamas as much as possible. Then these morally bankrupt countries then wonder why terroism still is flourishing in the word because they do not take serious steps that are needed to support Israel in eradicating Hamas and others.
Bombard the BBC with complaints. They are spewing Anti Israel propoganda every minute of the day. This is their phone number in the UK. You can give over what you think about their reporting to someone in person. Bombard those mamzeirim and let them them know we are wise to their fake stories and lies about children being indiscrimantly killed. This is the BBC phone number in London 004403700100222
no other country would sit quiet even if a half of rocket was thrown at them, but because its israel and euro are all anti semites and because the us tries to please turkey and saudi we are telling israel to simply take it
To appeal to war is to take a chance. Anything can happen in war. The generals and the politician will say they know what will happen, but they do not know for sure.
Is the present situation so intolerable that we want to go to war? WIll war improve the situation? What if the other guy gets lucky?
War is not policy. War is the collapse of policy.