US won't punish 'Israel' for Rafah op. that ignores civilian safety
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Politico cites three US officials as saying that "no reprimand plans are in the works" by the Biden administration.
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Palestinians inspect the damage to residential buildings in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
US President Joe Biden's administration does not intend to punish the Israeli occupation in the event of a ground invasion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah that neglects civilian safety, Politico reported citing three US officials.
According to the US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, "no reprimand plans are in the works, meaning Israeli forces could enter the city and harm civilians without facing American consequences."
This comes at a time when a ground invasion of the city of Rafah looms, as Netanyahu told troops to prepare for an offensive in the southern city, which now hosts more than half of Gaza's total population.
Foreign governments, including "Israel's" key ally the United States, and aid groups have voiced deep concern over Netanyahu's plan.
US President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu on the phone Sunday and told him the Rafah offensive should not go ahead in the absence of a "credible" plan to ensure "the safety" of people sheltering there, the White House said.
About 1.4 million Palestinians have crowded into Rafah, with many living in tents while food, water and medicine are becoming increasingly scarce.
Day to day, the United States reinforces its support for the Israeli occupation amid the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip. When questioned on Monday about whether Biden had ever considered withdrawing military aid from "Israel", National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said, "We’re going to continue to support Israel … And we’re going to continue to make sure they have the tools and the capabilities to do that."
On Tuesday, Kirby declined to address a query about potential US actions if the Israeli occupation proceeded with the Rafah invasion without prioritizing civilian safety, saying, "I'm not going to get into a hypothetical game."
South Africa to take 'Israel' to court, again, over Rafah offensive
On the other hand, the South African government announced Tuesday that it had appealed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking its intervention to assess whether the potential Israeli invasion into Rafah warranted the court's use of its authority to prevent additional violations of Palestinians' rights.
Last month, the ICJ directed "Israel" to employ all available measures to prevent its forces from committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, as per a case initiated by South Africa.
According to South Africa, the potential invasion into Rafah is enough to ask the ICJ to revisit its provisional measures and issue a sterner order.
It said it was "gravely concerned that the unprecedented military offensive against Rafah," which "has already led to and will result in further large scale killing, harm and destruction."
"This would be in serious and irreparable breach both of the Genocide Convention and of the Court's Order of 26 January 2024," the South African presidency argued.
"South Africa trusts this matter will receive the necessary urgency in light of the daily death toll in Gaza."
The court has not confirmed receiving the South Africa request, and it is not obliged to consider it.
Read more: Israeli proposal to displace Palestinians from Rafah albeit US concern
