Despite prior knowledge, US 'laments' Israeli aggression victims

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Israeli media
10 May 2023 10:34

Israeli media say Netanyahu had informed two senior US officials that he was planning to launch an aggression against Gaza.

Relatives mourn over the bodies of Palestinians martyred in the Israeli occupation aggression against Gaza, May 9, 2023 (AP)

The US Embassy in occupied Al-Quds and the European Union urged both "Israel" and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement (PIJ) to deescalate tensions, after the Israeli occupation launched a heinous aggression against the Gaza Strip, brutally murdering 15 people, including three PIJ leaders.

Never failing to side with the Israeli occupation, the two sides equated between the perpetrator and the victim.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the US Embassy said, "We are closely following Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip that killed three leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad."

"We are also aware of reports that 10 civilians were tragically killed in the Israeli strikes," the statement said, failing to mention that among the civilians killed were five women and four children.

"We call for all parties to deescalate the situation to protect noncombatants and prevent any further loss of civilian life," it added, although the PIJ and its military wing, Al-Quds Brigades, have not responded yet to the recent Israeli occupation aggression against the Gaza Strip.

Defending its closest criminal ally, as usual, the US made clear that its "commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad," ignoring the Israeli occupation's crimes against innocent Palestinians.

On Tuesday, the Kan Israeli public broadcaster reported that Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had told two senior Biden administration officials in a meeting one day before the start of the aggression that he was planning to attack Gaza.

The Israeli channel cited sources familiar with the matter as saying that Netanyahu told the two officials about the planned aggression but did not specify its timing.

Kan indicated that the two US officials were US Middle East envoy, Brett McGurk and the Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security, Amos Hochstein.

The Israeli occupation Army Radio had revealed that the aggression on Gaza was scheduled for last Tuesday but was postponed so that it could be executed under better conditions.

The Israeli media outlet reported that prior to the aggression which was approved last weekend, Israeli occupation Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke with his US counterpart Antony Blinken.

The Israeli Channel 7 also indicated that "Israel" informed the United States about the planned aggression on Gaza,

On his part, EU Spokesperson Peter Stano claimed that the bloc "is gravely concerned by the escalation in Gaza following today’s Israeli air raids."

"The EU deeply regrets the loss of civilian lives, including children and calls for the respect of international humanitarian law, civilian lives must be protected under all circumstances," Stano said in a statement.