The United States of America has criticized Israel’s use of American weapons on attacks on the Southern City of Rafah.
Recall that Israeli forces have intensified operations around the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million displaced civilians are sheltering.
However, Israel’s main international ally, the US, on Friday said it was “reasonable to assess” that Israel has used weapons in ways inconsistent with international humanitarian law during the lingering Gaza.
The war which was kick-started with Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 is now in its seven-month.
But speaking on Israel use of American bombs, the State Department report said it could not reach “conclusive findings”. It, however, stopped short of blocking weapons shipments to Israel.
Recall that relations between the two allies; Israel and US slumped earlier in the week. This is after US President Joe Biden said he would halt some arms deliveries to Israel. This, he said, is in case Israel went ahead with a full-scale assault on Rafah as threatened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The US has warned that the reputational damage Israel will suffer if it storms a city where an estimated 1.4 million civilians are sheltering will far outweigh any possible military gain.
Following the attacks, the UN Chief, Antonio Guterres said on Friday that Gaza risked an “epic humanitarian disaster”. This is if Israel launched a full-scale ground operation in Rafah. Also, France has urged Israel to cease its operations in Rafah “without delay”.
Recall that the Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu has repeatedly that Israel must attack Rafah for the war to be conclusive. The Prime Minister had said that there is possibility of the militant group, Hamas, repeating its bloody October 7 attack on Israel.
Netanyahu had struck a defiant tone on Thursday, vowing: “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone.”
However, the White House renewed its opposition Friday but said it saw no major operation yet against the city.
“We’re obviously watching it with concern, of course. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say what we’ve seen here in the last 24 hours connotes or indicates a broad, large (or) major ground operation,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Earlier this week, Israeli ground troops seized eastern areas of the city. These include the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. But they have yet to enter its main built-up area.
AFP journalists report strikes in several parts of Gaza early Saturday. This is after reporting artillery strikes on Rafah a day earlier.
source: Daily Trust
