Israel Gaza Rafah Refugee Camp Airstrike
At Least 45 Dead
US Evaluating Red Line
Israel "Rafah Operation Continues"
The United States is investigating whether Israel crossed its 'red line' after at least 45 civilians were killed in a refugee camp in Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip, due to an Israeli airstrike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the incident as a 'tragic accident' but expressed his intention to continue the Rafah operation.
According to U.S. media Axios on the 27th (local time), the White House is evaluating whether the recent airstrike, conducted amid worsening international opinion including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the United Nations (UN) ordering a halt to the Rafah attacks and the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, crossed the red line mentioned by President Joe Biden.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC) added, "We are actively engaging with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and partners on the ground to assess what happened, and understand that the IDF is conducting an investigation."
If Israel crosses the red line, it could change the direction of the U.S. policy stance on the Gaza Strip war. In March, President Joe Biden defined a large-scale Israeli attack on Rafah as a red line, and earlier this month, he announced a policy to halt the supply of weapons and ammunition if that line is crossed. This is due to concerns that Palestinian civilian casualties would sharply increase if Rafah, home to hundreds of thousands of refugees, were attacked.
Previously, the Israeli military conducted an airstrike on the Tal al-Sultan refugee camp in western Rafah targeting Hamas leadership. This was a retaliatory measure against Hamas's long-range rocket launches from the Gaza Strip targeting central Israel, including Tel Aviv. The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health reported that at least 45 people, including 23 women and elderly, have died and 249 were injured in this airstrike.
According to The New York Times (NYT), Prime Minister Netanyahu described the incident as a "tragic mistake" and plans to investigate it, while also showing determination to continue the offensive on Rafah. In a speech to the parliament that day, he emphasized, "Those who are not ready to respond to external pressure raise the flag of defeat. I am not one of them. I will fight until the flag of victory is raised."
International criticism is growing over Israel's airstrike on the Rafah refugee camp. Volker T?rk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed "fear" over the Israeli military's airstrike on the Rafah refugee camp in the southernmost Gaza Strip despite the ICJ's order. German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck stated that the Israeli offensive on Rafah "violates international law." Amnesty International has called on the ICC to investigate this incident as a war crime committed by Israel, AFP reported.
A U.S. official told Axios, "The White House is currently in the process of determining exactly what happened to decide if U.S. action is necessary," adding, "This incident is likely to increase political pressure for President Biden to change his policy on the Gaza Strip war."
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