The United States believes that Israel is “making efforts to try to minimize civilian casualties,” said National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, John Kirby, this Thursday (2).
Kirby, however, has repeatedly refused to say whether President Joe Biden’s administration sees Israel trying to do the same regarding the Jabalia refugee camp.
The coordinator told the CNN earlier this week that it was “obvious” to the US that Israel is “trying to minimize” civilian deaths.
When asked today if that continues to be the White House’s view following two Israeli attacks on the refugee camp, Kirby told MJ Lee of CNN : “We see within the scope of their operations that they are making efforts to try to minimize civilian casualties.”
“That doesn’t mean, and I didn’t say, that they aren’t still causing some (casualties),” Kirby added. “Each is tragic, each should not happen, and we have been absolutely clear about that.”
Israel’s attacks on Jabalia prompted the United Nations Human Rights Office to express concern that the attacks “could constitute war crimes.” The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hamas commanders and the radical Islamist group’s infrastructure.
Pressed again about the airstrikes specifically in Jabalia, Kirby said Thursday, “I’m not going to talk about specifics because I’m not going to litigate an operational event that our military isn’t involved in in near real time.”
Any doubt about the extent of civilian casualties should come from the Israel Defense Forces, not the US, Kirby continued.
“They should have to answer your questions about the decisions they’re making on the battlefield and how they’re targeting and how they’re carrying out operations. We’re not going to roll this out here in Washington, D.C.,” he said.
Kirby reiterated that US officials are stressing the importance of preserving civilian lives with their counterparts in Israel.
The US “is not imposing restrictions on Israel in terms of how it conducts its operations,” according to Pentagon spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder.
He was responding to a question about whether the US was imposing restrictions on the weapons it supplied.
“They are professional military personnel, well trained and well led, so I will leave it at that,” Ryder explained.
See also: Israel confirms second attack on refugee camp in Gaza Strip
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
