Former US president Barak Obama says Israel’s decision to cut off food, water, and electricity to Gaza “threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis [but] could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s [enemies], and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.”
The criticism is part of a lengthy statement issued by Obama, the second since the start of the conflict, after his first comments focused largely on condemning Hamas and offering support for Israel.
Obama backs US President Joe Biden’s approach, which has included diplomatic and military support for Israel, while urging the IDF to follow international law and limit civilian casualties.
He calls on the international community to engage with Palestinian leaders who recognize Israel in order to achieve a two-state solution, recognizing that previous ones have rejected previous peace offers and that “the settler movement too often has received tacit or explicit support from the Israeli government.”
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 23, 2023
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
