US maintains Israeli policy despite Rafah strike

U.S. President Joe Biden is not planning any changes to his Israel policy following a deadly strike on Gaza’s Rafah over the weekend, but the White House emphasized that it is not ignoring the suffering of Palestinian civilians, a statement clarified on Tuesday.

According to Gaza health authorities, 45 people died when a fire engulfed a camp for displaced individuals after the Israeli strike on Sunday.

Despite this, Washington does not consider Israel’s actions in Rafah to be a full-scale operation that would violate Biden’s “red lines,” said John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council.

“As a result of this strike on Sunday, there are no policy changes to announce,” Kirby stated during a White House briefing. “It just happened, and the Israelis are going to investigate it.”

Kirby also noted, “This is not something that we’ve turned a blind eye to,” in response to questions about the number of casualties required for a policy shift.

Previously, Biden has expressed opposition to a major Israeli military offensive in Rafah, where one million civilians have fled. Earlier this month, he paused a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel due to concerns they might be used against the southern Gazan city.

Witnesses reported Israeli tanks positioned in central Rafah on Tuesday after weeks of intense combat between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.

Kirby reiterated that there was no shift in the administration’s stance on what constitutes a significant military operation in Rafah. “We have not seen them smash into Rafah,” he said. “We have not seen large-scale troop movements in coordinated attacks on multiple targets.”

– No to ICC Sanctions –

The Pentagon described Israel’s actions in Rafah as “limited in scope.” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the administration was awaiting the conclusion of the Israeli military’s investigation into Sunday’s strike before making further comments. “We take seriously what happened over the weekend. The images are horrific,” Singh added.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller mentioned that Israel’s preliminary investigation indicated the strike used “the smallest bomb in their arsenal.”

Israel has termed the casualties as a “tragic accident,” and its army stated that its munitions alone could not have caused the devastating fire, adding that two senior Hamas militants were targeted and killed in the strike.

The White House also opposed calls from congressional Republicans for sanctions against the International Criminal Court after its prosecutor sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We don’t believe that sanctions against the ICC are the right approach,” Kirby said, though he reiterated that the U.S. does not believe the war crimes court has jurisdiction.

Additionally, the Pentagon announced the suspension of U.S. military aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip by sea after its temporary pier was damaged by bad weather.