The White House on Monday appeared to justify the Israeli strike on displaced Palestinians in Rafah that hit a tent camp and killed at least 45 people, including many women and children.
In a statement on the massacre, a White House National Security spokesperson called it “heartbreaking” but also said Israel had the “right” to go after Hamas and backed Israeli claims that the strike also killed two Hamas fighters.
“The devastating images following the IDF strike in Rafah last night that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians are heartbreaking,” the spokesperson said, according to CNN. “Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians.”
According to Doctors Without Borders, the Israeli strike hit a camp in western Rafah that was designated a so-called “safe zone” by the Israeli military. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the dead included at least 12 women, eight children, and three elderly people.
Another three bodies were burned beyond recognition. Footage that surfaced online showed large fires in the camp and severely burned corpses being pulled out. One video showed a man holding the body of a headless child.
Axios reported that the US is assessing whether or not the massacre crossed President Biden’s “red line,” although it’s not clear if he really set one. After Biden warned he would withhold heavy bombs from Israel if it launched a major attack on “population centers” in Rafah, the US ended up supporting the Israeli attack on the city.
After Israel initially claimed the Rafah massacre was a targeted attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic mistake” and said Israel would investigate the strike. Israeli officials have previously claimed they would investigate civilian casualties, but there’s usually no follow-up, and the US appears to be happy to stay ignorant of Israeli war crimes.
Earlier this month, the State Department issued a report that said Israel was likely violating US and international law in Gaza with US-provided weapons but claimed there wasn’t enough evidence to prove it. The claim that there’s no proof allows the Biden administration to keep shipping weapons to Israel.