President Joe Biden is not altering his policy toward Israel following a deadly strike that resulted in the death of more than 45 people, the White House said Tuesday, suggesting the incident had not yet crossed a red line that would force changes in American support.
Instead, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US would look for answers from Israel following the country’s investigation of the incident, which he described as “heartbreaking.”
“As a result of this strike on Sunday, I have no policy changes to speak to. It just happened,” Kirby told reporters at the White House. “The Israelis are going to investigate it. We’re going to be taking great interest in what they find in that investigation. And we’ll see where it goes from there.”
It was the clearest indication yet that Biden has not yet reached the point where he would consider suspending arms shipments or other aid to Israel, despite saying in a CNN interview earlier this month he wouldn’t allow certain US weapons to be used in a major offensive in Rafah.
While Kirby called on Israel to take precautions to protect civilian lives and warned there was a danger in Israel becoming more isolated from its traditional allies, he asserted there were no indications yet that it had waged a military campaign that would prompt Biden to withhold aid or weapons.
Israeli tanks were seen in central Rafah on Tuesday for the first time in Israel’s seven-month war against Hamas, signaling a new phase of its offensive as Israel presses on despite mounting international pressure.
MNA/PR