UNDERSTATEMENT

Israeli PM Calls Deadly Rafah Strike a ‘Tragic Mistake’

The Biden administration is reportedly trying to determine whether the attack—which killed at least 45 people—warrants U.S. action.

Israel’s deadly attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday night was a “tragic mistake,” according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Local officials said at least 45 people were killed and almost 200 others were wounded because of the strike, which set fire to a camp housing displaced Palestinians. According to the Associated Press, while addressing his country’s parliament on Monday, Netanyahu said that “despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake. We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy.” Sunday night’s attack was one of the deadliest in Israel’s war against Hamas, and comes as Israel has been facing mounting criticism and global outrage over the number of civilians caught in the crossfire. On Monday, Axios reported that the White House is trying to determine whether the strike in Rafah is a violation of President Biden’s “red line” and whether it warrants U.S. action. The Biden administration is reportedly “actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened.”