US is ‘actively engaging’ with Israel after deadly strike on Rafah

The Biden administration said it’s “actively engaging” with the Israeli army after a deadly airstrike on the Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday, May 26. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said at least 45 people were killed, including children, and roughly 250 were injured at a tent camp for displaced Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “tragic mishap” and told Israeli Parliament the military is investigating what led to the deaths.

“In Rafah, we already evacuated about one million non-combatant residents,” Netanyahu told Parliament Monday, May 27, “and despite our utmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something, unfortunately, went tragically wrong. We are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions because this is our policy.”

Israeli officials said the attack targeted a Hamas compound and two of the group’s senior officials were killed.

Hamas called the attack a “war crime.” They claim it defied a recent decision by the United Nation’s World Court, which called on Israel to halt its operations in Rafah.

In the U.S., prominent Democrats lambasted the strike. Representative Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American serving in Congress, said she believes the deaths were “intentional” and referred to Netanyahu as a “homicidal maniac.” Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez called the attack an “indefensible atrocity.”

This was intentional. You don't accidentally kill massive amounts of children and their families over and over again and get to say, "It was a mistake."

Genocidal maniac Netanyahu told us he wants to ethically cleanse Palestinians. When are you going to believe him @POTUS? https://t.co/QqrwDgwvHT

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 27, 2024

In a statement on Monday, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said images coming from Rafah were “heartbreaking.” The spokesperson added Israel does have “a right to go after” Hamas, but needs to make “every precaution possible to protect civilians.”

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden said the U.S. will not supply certain weapons to Israel should the country launch its major offensive on Rafah.

The airstrike was the deadliest incident in Rafah since Israel started its offensive in Rafah earlier this month.