The U.S. secretary of state made two unannounced visits on Sunday, the first to the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the second to Baghdad.
William J. Burns’s visit comes as the United States tries to prod Israel to pursue a more targeted approach to attacking Hamas, allow pauses in the fighting and do more to avoid civilian casualties.
Israel Quietly Pushed for Egypt to Admit Large Numbers of Gazans - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
The Israeli government has not publicly called for large numbers of Gazans to move to Egypt. But in private, diplomats say, it has pushed for just that — augmenting Palestinian fears of a permanent expulsion.
The U.S. says more than 300 Americans have been able to leave Gaza.
