As the Israeli army escalates its relentless, crushing attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip, the US State Department has asked its diplomats specializing in Middle East issues not to make public statements indicating that the United States wants to see less violence, according to internal emails seen by the website. American Huffington Post.

The website revealed on Friday that in the letters distributed on Friday (10/13/23), high-level officials gave clear instructions to American diplomats that any comments or press releases should not include three specific phrases: “cease-escalation/ceasefire.” “End the violence/bloodshed,” and “Restore calm.”

This revelation provides a stunning indication of the reluctance of the administration of US President Joe Biden to exert any pressure, even verbal, for Israeli restraint as Israel expands its attack on the Gaza Strip, which as of Friday evening has led to the killing of 1,900 Palestinian citizens in the Strip, most of them civilians and children. , following the Hamas attack launched by the movement on October 7 in Israeli territory, which left hundreds of Israeli soldiers and civilians dead.

According to the Huffington Post website: “The emails were sent hours after Israel informed more than 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza of the need to leave their homes and shelters before the expected ground invasion of the area. The United Nations said on Thursday that Israel had given Gazans a 24-hour deadline to move to... South of the Strip, and warned that “it would be impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.”

In response to a question about the Israeli evacuation order on Friday, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby refused to reject or support it, describing it as a “difficult matter.”

Kirby said that the US administration is keen to avoid talking about what Israel is doing and its tactics on the ground, "and what I can tell you is that we understand what they (the Israelis) are trying to do. They are trying to keep civilians out of harm's way and give them fair warning."

When a State Department official was contacted for comment on the directive, he said they would not comment on internal communications.

American officials said they expect Israel to adhere to the laws of war in its operation against Hamas. But they avoided discussing a ceasefire, even as aid groups and some analysts suggested it might be necessary to allow civilians to flee Gaza and allow vital supplies to enter the area after Israel cut off the electricity and water on which the Strip normally relies. Earlier this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken deleted and replaced a post on X, his former Twitter handle, in which he mentioned Turkey's calls for a ceasefire.

Israel said on Thursday that an attack carried out by Hamas last weekend and rocket fire by Palestinian militants since then had killed 1,300 Israelis.

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly pledged to support Israel as it seeks revenge for the unprecedented Hamas attack. However, as Israel's largest source of diplomatic and military support, the United States has significant influence regarding how Israel chooses its operations.

Biden's allies may urge the president and his team to issue stronger calls for Netanyahu to prioritize humanitarian concerns. On Friday, Rep. Sarah Jacobs - a California Democrat who serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees - urged Israel to reconsider the Gaza evacuation order.

Jacobs, an American Jew, said in a statement: “My family is still in Israel, so I can only imagine the pain and anger that the families of the hostages are feeling now and I understand the Israeli government’s urgency to hold Hamas responsible.” She added: “I also share the United Nations’ concerns.” ...Due to communications and power outages, many civilians in Gaza cannot receive evacuation notice, let alone evacuate quickly and safely. The short timeline for evacuation notice does not give a civilian population of more than 1 million people sufficient time to evacuate, nor does it provide time to evacuate quickly and safely. Sufficient funding for humanitarian organizations to ensure that southern Gaza is able to receive an additional one million people.

“Maintaining our moral authority and protecting innocent lives is the right thing to do, and is also important for Israel’s long-term safety and security,” Jacobs continued.

Fifty-five House Democrats also signed a letter on Friday asking Biden to "express that Israel's response in Gaza must be conducted in accordance with international law and take all necessary measures to limit harm to innocent civilians."