White House confirms Israel’s Operation in Rafah does not violate US red lines in Gaza

The White House has stated that the US does not believe Israel has launched a full-scale invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, despite Israeli forces reaching the center of the city and seizing a strategically important hill overlooking the border with Egypt. White House spokesman John Kirby made this statement following an Israeli strike that killed at least 45 Palestinians, many of whom were women, children, or elderly, at a camp for displaced people.

US President Joe Biden had previously warned that he would limit weapons supplies to Israel if they entered the “population centers” of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are still believed to be sheltering. The US state department is closely monitoring the situation and has called for a quick and thorough investigation into the strike that resulted in civilian casualties.

Israel has insisted that the strike targeted and killed two senior Hamas officials and that the resulting fire may have been caused by an explosion at a nearby Hamas weapons store. However, the aftermath of the strike has been described as “heartbreaking” and “horrific” by White House spokesman John Kirby.

The international community, including regional governments like Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, has condemned the attack and called for accountability. The UN has reported that around a million people have fled the fighting in Rafah, with several hundred thousand more still believed to be sheltering in the city. The situation remains tense as Israeli tanks and troops continue operations against “terror targets” in the area.