Obama breaks silence on Israel-Hamas war to send ominous warning over Gaza bombings
Israel has conducted near non-stop air raids across Gaza since hours after Hamas militants stormed into the country and massacred 1,400 Israelis.
Israeli Air Force release footage of mortar bomb being used
Barack Obama weighed in on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas to warn persistent bombings of Gaza could "backfire" on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorised a campaign of heavy raids within hours of Hamas launching the deadliest militant attack in the country's history.
Netanyahu has been met with condemnation for his strategy because of the heavy civilian losses in the strip, which include nearly 2,000 children.
Obama renewed his belief that Israel needs to be able to defend itself from enemy attacks but insisted the current approach is likely to foster more division and fuel animosity.
The former US president said that "how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters," urging the country to follow international laws "that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations."
For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to Daily Express US
Writing on Medium on Monday, Obama said: "The world is watching closely as events in the region unfold, and any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire.
"Already, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the bombing of Gaza, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes."
He warned cutting off access to food and electricity would only "harden" the stance of generations of Palestinians to come all around the world.
Obama added: "The Israeli government's decision to cut off food, water, and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis.
"It 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."
DON'T MISS:
Desperate doctors in Gaza 'forced to operate on patients without painkillers' [REPORT]
Hamas leader lays out conditions for hostage releases as two captives freed [INSIGHT]
Israel has 'evidence of Iranian involvement' in Hamas massacre [ANALYSIS]
The comments come as the US advised Israel that a delay in its expected ground offensive in the besieged Hamas-ruled territory would allow more time to negotiate the release of hostages.
Fears of a widening war have grown as Israel struck targets in the occupied West Bank, Syria and Lebanon and traded fire with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group.
Two aid convoys arrived in the Gaza Strip over the weekend through the Rafah crossing from Egypt, and a third arrived Monday. Israel said the trucks carried food, water and medical supplies.
Israel has not allowed in fuel, which is critically needed for water and sanitation systems and hospitals.