WASHINGTON: The White House has said that “prudent contingency planning” is underway to evacuate US citizens from the Middle East in case the Israel-Palestine war spreads into a wide regional conflict.
According to the White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby there are presently no “active efforts” to evacuate American citizens from the region beyond charter flights the US government started operating earlier in the current month out of Israel. The possibility planning was first reported by The Washington Post.
US Plans to Evacuate US Citizens from Mideast in Case Israel-Palestine War Spreads
Gaza’s more than 2.3 million people have been running out of water, food, medicine and fuel. The relief convoys permitted into Gaza so far have carried a portion of what’s needed.
The situation in Gaza has escalated to unprecedented levels of devastation as Israeli brutal airstrikes martyred more than 704 Palestinian civilians during the last 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
Medical facilities and humanitarian aid centers across the territory have been forced to shut down due to bombing damage and a severe shortage of electricity, leaving the already vulnerable population in a perilous state.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, citing alleged violations of international law, and called for an immediate ceasefire during a high-level session of the UN Security Council.
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Addressing the Security Council, Guterres warned against the “collective punishment” of the innocent Palestinian people. He stated, “I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law.” Although he did not explicitly name Israel, his remarks were directed at the ongoing Israeli brutalities in Gaza.
