Washington: Asserting that it has no plans to change its Israel policy following a deadly airstrike on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, the White House said it is closely watching an Israeli investigation into the incident. Palestinian medics said this week that dozens of people died in fresh Israeli attacks on Rafah, two days after 45 people were reportedly killed in an airstrike that sparked international condemnation.
White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby said the US was waiting for further investigations from Israel into the attacks. "The Israelis are going to investigate it. We're going to be taking great interest in what they find in that investigation. And we'll see where it goes from there," Kirby said.
The US did not consider the attacks as a major military or major ground operation at this point, he said, adding: "But again, we're watching it very closely". Kirby said the US continued to believe that a large-scale ground offensive in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip was wrong.
The Biden administration has repeatedly warned Israel against launching a large-scale military offensive in Rafah. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on May 28 that the US will continue to emphasize to Israel its obligation to comply fully with international humanitarian law, minimize the impact of its operations on civilians, and maximize the flow of humanitarian assistance.
Israel's three-week-old Rafah offensive stirred renewed outrage after an airstrike last week ignited a blaze in a tent camp in a western district, killing at least 45 people.
