The United States is urging Israel to narrow the zone of combat and clarify where Palestinian civilians can seek safety during any Israeli operation in southern Gaza, US officials have said to prevent a repeat of the massive death toll from Israel’s northern Gaza attacks.

According to Reuters, US officials from President Joe Biden on down, including in the State Department and Pentagon, are pleading with Israel to take a more cautious approach if and when the Israeli military extends its offensive to southern Gaza.

Washington understands Israel’s desire to root out Hamas in southern Gaza but believes greater caution is needed in the heavily populated area, said two US officials who provided some details of the advice being given.

Many of the lead architects of the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on Oct 7, in which 1,200 people were killed, are in the south, one official noted.

“But given that hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled to the south, at Israels request, we believe Israel should only move forward after operational planning has accounted for the presence of many more innocents,” the official said.