Following Israel’s deadly airstrikes near Rafah in the Gaza Strip, the US government says it is in dialogue with the Israeli military and partners on the ground to clarify the circumstances.
“The devastating images following an IDF attack in Rafah last night, which killed dozens of innocent Palestinians, are heartbreaking,” a State Department spokesperson said on Monday.
Dozens of innocent Palestinians were killed in the attack, he told the German news agency.
“Israel has the right to go after Hamas, and we understand that this attack killed two key Hamas terrorists responsible for attacks on Israeli civilians,” the spokesperson added.
But as we have been clear, Israel must take every possible precaution to protect civilians. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened, and understand that the IDF is conducting an investigation.”
The Israeli army killed at least 45 people and injured dozens of others in an airstrike on Sunday evening, according to the Palestinian Health Authority. Most of the dead were women and minors. The incident sparked international outrage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly described the airstrikes as a “tragic mistake.” The tragedy had occurred despite Israeli efforts to prevent harm to civilians.
However, Netanyahu plans to continue the offensive in Rafah.
