US warns Israel over civilian deaths in Gaza

[Jefferson23]

US cautions ally about further escalation as Tel Aviv warns of broadening Gaza ground assault.


Israel has warned it could "significantly widen" a Gaza land offensive but was cautioned by its main ally, the United States, about the risks of further escalation as Palestinian civilian deaths mounted.

Palestinian officials said 65 Palestinians, at least 15 of them under the age of 18, had been killed since Israel sent ground forces on Thursday into the densely-populated enclave of 1.8 million Palestinians.

The Israeli army said it killed 17 Palestinian gunmen and took 13 prisoners in operations inside the Gaza Strip. One Israeli soldier was killed and several others injured.

In all, 307 Palestinians have been killed since fighting began on July 8, Gaza officials said. Most of the dead were civilians, of whom more than 50 were under the age of 18. About 2,260 other people have been injured.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/us-cautions-israel-civilian-casualties-201471822402778906.html

[randys1]

1. Given the attitude of the rightwing Israeli govt and the extremist Hamas, this was inevitable?