The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it is closely monitoring the investigation into a deadly Israeli airstrike in Rafah, describing the incident as “beyond tragic.” However, officials stated that the recent deaths do not constitute a major operation that would cross established red lines.
When asked if the recent ground operations in Rafah would lead to a reduction in U.S. military aid to Israel, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed, “I believe that’s what I’ve been saying here.”
The deaths in Rafah have challenged President Biden’s commitment to withholding weapons from Israel if the U.S. ally conducted a major invasion of Rafah that endangered refugees.
Israel acknowledged that “something unfortunately went tragically wrong” in Sunday’s airstrike but denied shelling the tent camp on Tuesday. The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted two senior Hamas operatives and was not intended to cause civilian casualties.
Kirby cautioned that Israel risks further isolation from the international community due to the manner in which it is conducting its operations.
