Attack at Rafah camp did not cross Biden’s red line over supporting Israel: White House

The White House has stated that President Biden is maintaining his policy towards Israel despite a deadly strike, known as the Attack at Rafah camp, causing over 45 deaths, indicating that the incident hasn't reached a threshold necessitating changes in American support.

This was said shortly after the Israeli troops entered the city’s center and ousted forces from a prominent hill that has tactical significance near the Egyptian border.

Mr. Kirby said while talking with reporters that the pictures of the strike aftermath are “heartbreaking” and "horrific." John Kirby said that US would be paying very close attention to the probe into the event and that he hoped that Israel would get the message after the airstrike.

Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the bombing a "tragic mistake," Kirby emphasized that it did not amount to the large-scale military operation that the US had cautioned would have consequences for Israel.

Kirby further added, “We don’t support, we won’t support, a major ground operation in Rafah, and we’ve again been very consistent on that, and the president said that, should that occur, then it might make him have to make different decisions in terms of support. We haven’t seen that happen.”

According to the health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, 45 individuals, including children, lost their lives in the strike, with another 249 people sustaining injuries. This led to widespread condemnation from global leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz both urged an immediate ceasefire in Rafah following the bombing. 

Mohammad al-Mughayyir, an official from Gaza's civil defense agency under Hamas, recounted the aftermath of the strike, mentioning the distressing scenes of charred bodies, dismembered limbs, amputations, and injuries among children, women, and the elderly. An eyewitness named Muhannad, who is also a displaced resident of Gaza, described, “When we heard the sound, the sky suddenly lit up.” This incident occurred shortly after the International Court of Justice demanded that Israel's military cease its offensive actions in the region.

In light of this, President Biden has advised Israel against large-scale operations in Rafah because of the high population density there and the consequences that this would have on the civilian population. But he has also stated before that he is not concerned about the limited strikes in the area. Other statements by US officials suggest that they are hopeful about the possibility of Israeli changes for the protection of civilians in warfare tactics.

In order to justify its actions, Israeli authorities claimed that accurate missiles were used in the operation, and its goal was to eliminate key Hamas figures. The group that was involved in the attack on October 7, 2000, is known as Hamas, and this organization is recognized legally by both the EU and the US as a terrorist group.

The White House agreed with the statement made by Israel to claim the use of smaller bombs in the operation, which it regarded as an innovation in targeting. Regarding Kirby’s positions, he endorsed the decision not to heighten the arms restrictions on Israel further.

“We have not seen them smash into Rafah,” said Kirby. He further added, “We have not seen them go in with large units and large numbers of troops in columns and formations in some sort of coordinated manoeuvre against multiple targets on the ground.”

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