Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) called an Israeli attack on Rafah that killed at least 45 people over the weekend “an indefensible atrocity” as criticism mounts of the Israeli military operation in the southern city of Gaza.
The Israeli attack on Rafah’s Tal al-Sultan neighborhood targeted a tent-filled humanitarian zone where Israel’s military previously instructed displaced Palestinians to take shelter from the ongoing war against the militant group Hamas, the Ministry said. of Gaza Health. The Israeli military claimed that the attack killed two senior Hamas leaders.
“The IDF attack on a camp of innocents in Rafah is an indefensible atrocity,” wrote Ocasio-Cortez Monday on social platform. “This was done in open defiance of President Biden’s red line and the ICJ’s call for a ceasefire.”
She added that it was “about time” for Biden to “keep his word” and stop military aid shipments to Israel, following up on a threat made earlier this month in an attempt to prevent Israeli attacks on Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack a “tragic mistake” and called for an investigation into the civilian deaths on Monday.
“Despite our best efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night there was a tragic mistake,” Netanyahu said Monday in a speech to Israel’s parliament. “We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because that is our policy.”
The attack comes just days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its operations in Rafah, the last remaining major settlement in Gaza that has not been invaded by the Israeli military.
The attack was widely denounced, as criticism of the Israeli military operation in Rafah mounts. A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council told Axios on Monday that the attack was “painful”.
“Israel has the right to persecute Hamas… but as we have been clear, Israel must take all possible precautions to protect civilians,” the spokesperson said. “We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened.”
French President Emmanuel Macron took the strike as an opportunity to once again call for a ceasefire in the conflict.
“These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians”, wrote Macron in a publication on X. “I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire”.
The Israeli military slowly invaded Rafah despite strong warnings from the Biden administration.
More than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people is believed to be sheltering in Rafah, and more than 80 percent of the territory’s total population is displaced from their homes. The UN said famine has broken out in parts of the region as civilians struggle to access humanitarian aid.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
