May 29, Washington, DC,
John Kirby, the Strategic Communications Coordinator of the National Security Council, denounced the recent attack in Rafah by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and expressed deep regret for the deaths of innocent people, particularly children.
"These terrible images and reports coming out of Rafah over the weekend following an IDF strike that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians, including children," Kirby stated in a statement. Those pictures are devastating; you've all seen them. I can't stand them. "There should be no innocent life lost here as a result of this conflict," he stressed, underscoring the need of avoiding the slaughter of innocent people.
Israel has a right to attack Hamas, but Kirby stressed that the safety of Israeli citizens must take precedence. He emphasised, "But as we've also said many times, Israel must take every precaution possible to do more to protect innocent lives." Kirby emphasised the significance of preventing civilian casualties while revealing that two senior Hamas militants had been targeted in the strike.
Concerned about the possibility of a large-scale ground action in Rafah, Kirby commented, "...We still don't believe that a major ground operation in Rafah is warranted." His fear of massive military operations was evident when he said, "We still don't want to see the Israelis, smash into Rafah with large units over large pieces of territory."
Kirby reassured the public that the United States administration was keeping a careful eye on developments and was in communication with the Israeli defence forces to get further details. "Regardless, every single loss of innocent life is tragic, and every single loss of innocent life should be prevented as much as possible," he stated to complete his response, highlighting the tragic nature of every innocent life lost.
Despite Sunday's devastating strike in Rafah, which killed more than 45 people, the White House confirmed on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden's stance towards Israel has not altered. This comes . This indicates that the incident has not yet escalated to a point where American support would change. Two Israeli strikes on displaced persons camps in southern Gaza killed at least 29 individuals, according to Palestinian authorities.
According to CNN's eyewitnesses, Israeli tanks were spotted in centre Rafah for the first time, showing that Israel's attack is continuing despite international condemnation. Additionally, US officials confirmed that Tuesday's heavy seas caused the makeshift pier that the US military had built to transport goods into Gaza to collapse. This is a major setback for the American-led effort to create a maritime corridor for humanitarian supplies.
