Amit Soussana, a 40-year-old Israeli attorney, has publicly recounted the severe trauma she experienced while held captive by Hamas, marking a poignant moment in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. In her testimony, featured in the documentary “Screams Before Silence,” she divulges the harrowing details of her 55-day captivity, which included a sexual assault by a Hamas guard. Released during a ceasefire, her ordeal has shed light on the human rights violations occurring in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has seen significant casualties on both sides since the October 7 attack, resulting in 1,200 Israeli and over 30,000 Palestinian lives lost.

In response to the escalating humanitarian crisis, US President Joe Biden has engaged in diplomatic discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging immediate action to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza. The dialogue between Biden and Netanyahu comes in the wake of a deadly drone strike on an aid convoy that took the lives of seven humanitarian workers, sparking international condemnation and calls for an independent investigation into the incident.

President Biden’s assertive stance includes a demand for an “immediate ceasefire” and highlights the potential impact of Israel’s response to the crisis on future US support. The White House underscored the necessity for Israel to take measurable steps to mitigate civilian harm and address humanitarian suffering, signaling a considerable shift in US policy towards the Israel-Gaza conflict. This rigorous diplomatic effort by the US aims to de-escalate hostilities and foreground the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers amidst the ongoing violence.