US requests delay to Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza: media report

The United States has asked Israel to delay its ground invasion in besieged Gaza, according to Israeli media reports.

“The United States has asked Israel to postpone its ground offensive until the establishment of a humanitarian corridor,” daily Jerusalem Post reported on Saturday, citing the public Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.

According to the report, “it was unclear what the Israeli response was to the request.”

The US has expressed strong support for Israel in fighting against the Hamas group following its attack a week ago, but has also expressed concern for the humanitarian plight of the over 2 million residents of Gaza.

On Friday the Israeli military ordered1.1 million residents in northern Gaza to evacuate “within 24 hours” to the southern half of the enclave.

The UN has warned it would be impossible for Palestinians in Gaza to obey the order without “devastating humanitarian consequences.”

Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

One week ago, Israeli forces launched a forceful military campaign against Gaza in response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began last Saturday when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood – a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of the Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron on Gaza.

That response has extended into cutting already restricted supplies of water, food, fuel, electricity, medicine and medical equipment to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.