White House Says Israeli Rafah Strike Did Not Cross 'Red Line'

Facts

• White House spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday that the deadly Israeli strike on Rafah over the weekend did not violate any red line that would force the US to change its policy.¹
• He referred to the airstrike that killed at least 45 people and injured hundreds more as a 'horrible loss of life' that highlights the risk of civilian casualties in densely populated areas of Gaza.²
• This comes as Pres. Joe Biden has pledged to 'make different decisions in terms of support,' including to limit weapons supplies to Israel in the event of a major ground operation into population centers in Rafah.³
• In addition to funneling at least $3.8B to Israel in military aid every year, the Biden administration approved last month $14B in additional assistance to the country — and, earlier this month, the transfer of weapons worth $1B.⁴
• According to Israeli officials, no red line has been crossed as Israel gradually deployed limited numbers of troops, forced a rapid evacuation of the city, and refrained from a full-scale ground assault.⁵
• On Wednesday, Israel deployed its tanks into the heart of Rafah for the second day in a row despite the International Court of Justice ordering a halt to such military operation.⁶

Sources: ¹New York Times, ²Washington Post, ³BBC News, ⁴Al Jazeera, ⁵Wsj and ⁶Middle East Monitor.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by CNN. Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks from Gaza or elsewhere, and the US is committed to preventing malicious actors from threatening Israel's legitimate concerns. However, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has gotten out of hand. Netanyahu must keep his promises and work with US allies to find a resolution to this conflict.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Israel carried out a legitimate strike against terror targets in Rafah, as Hamas operatives have continued to hide among the civilian population. Unfortunately, an accidental fire was sparked by Israeli strikes harming civilians. Israel will investigate this incident thoroughly.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Guardian. The Biden administration has been complicit in the Israeli genocidal campaign in Gaza. Even if claims that Hamas officials were present in the area are true, knowingly burning women and children alive evidently crosses any red lines. This war has gone on for far too long, and Israel must be held accountable for its brutal crimes.

Predictions