US says 'burden' on Israel to distinguish between Hamas, Gaza civilians

Israel must do all it can to protect innocent people in Gaza by distinguishing between Hamas militants and the civilians in the embattled Palestinian territory, the White House warned Sunday. “There is a burden, as I said before and as the president has said, on Israel to take the necessary steps to distinguish between Hamas, who does not represent the Palestinian people, and innocent Palestinian civilians,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on CNN talk show “State of the Union.” Sullivan added that President Joe Biden will call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Sunday to reiterate the US position that civilians must be protected.