Title: U.S.: Israel Needs to Ensure Civilian Protection

The U.S. State Department announced today that Israel needs to ensure the protection of civilians as it seeks to expand military operations in Gaza. Additionally, there are effective discussions taking place between Washington and Israel. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated to reporters that Washington has also expressed concerns to Israel about the inability of American citizens in the West Bank to travel to Israel. He added that the United States expects Israel to fully comply with the visa waiver program.