A State Department spokesman said in an interview that the Sheikh al-Jarrah neighborhood issue was the reason for what happened and called on Israel to treat the neighborhood residents with respect.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said Thursday evening that anyone killed in the ongoing conflict in the region was “unfortunate.”
“Hamas must stop its terrorist missile attacks immediately and we will do our best to stop the current conflict,” he told Al Jazeera, without mentioning the Zionist atrocities against the Palestinians in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
A State Department spokesman added: “We are focusing on diplomatic efforts with Israelis and Palestinians and regional parties such as Egypt and Qatar. “The first step that needs to be taken is to stop firing missiles at Hamas.”
“The issue of Sheikh al-Jarrah neighborhood is the reason for what happened and we asked Israel to treat the residents of this neighborhood with respect,” Price added.
“We support the holding of next week’s Security Council meeting on the situation in the region and call on both sides to stop provocative actions such as settlements, the destruction of homes, and terrorist attacks,” he said.
