About 70 former US officials, diplomats and military personnel yesterday, Wednesday, asked President Joe Biden to warn Israel of the serious consequences if it deprives Palestinians of basic rights and expands its settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.

“The US should be prepared to take concrete actions to oppose” these kinds of practices, they stress in the open letter they sent to Biden, even imposing “limitations on the provision of (US) aid (to Israel) in accordance with American laws”.

Among those who signed the letter are more than 10 former US ambassadors as well as other former State Department officials, former Pentagon, Intelligence and White House officials.

The letter is a sign of concern in the US over Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip, which began after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel that killed around 1,200 people.

Much of Gaza has been completely destroyed, while nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed. The UN stresses that the 2.3 million inhabitants of the Palestinian enclave have very little food and drinking water, and warns of the possibility of famine.

In this letter, the former US officials emphasize that the Israeli military operation against Hamas is “necessary and justified”.

However, they add that Israel’s businesses “marked by repeated violations” of international law, which prohibits indiscriminate killings and the use of weapons that do not allow a distinction to be made between armed and civilians.

“Tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza have been killed, the majority of whom are women and children,” complains the group signing the letter. “The killing of civilians in this way and on this scale cannot be justified.”

The group strongly supports Biden’s call for an immediate ceasefire of at least six weeks, the establishment of a reliable humanitarian aid delivery system and the release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

It also asks the Israeli army to apply rules of engagement consistent with international law.