White House States it Has No Intention of Investigating Israeli Strike that Resulted in American Casualties
The Biden administration has stated that it will not be investigating the Israeli strike in Gaza that resulted in the death of seven humanitarian workers, including an American citizen.
The White House has confirmed that it does not plan to conduct its own independent investigation or verify Israel’s inquiry into the incident, according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.
“I’m not in a position to speculate on any actions we may or may not take,” Mr. Kirby informed reporters on April 3.
“We have no intentions of launching a separate investigation.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack on the humanitarian convoy as tragic and unintentional, with the Israeli military promising an independent investigation.
“I want to clarify,” Mr. Halevi emphasized, “The intention of the strike was not to harm the WCK aid workers.
Photographs taken after the strike revealed that the SUV transporting the workers was clearly marked as a humanitarian vehicle and displayed the aid organization’s name on the roof for drone identification.
“This conflict has seen one of the highest numbers of aid worker casualties in recent history,” President Biden stated in a release at the time.
“The United States has consistently urged Israel to coordinate its military operations against Hamas with humanitarian efforts to prevent civilian casualties.”
However, Mr. Kirby affirmed that the Biden administration believes in the adequacy of Israel’s investigation and did not mention any repercussions for the death of American citizen Jacob Flickinger.
“We anticipate that they will conduct a thorough and transparent investigation,” Mr. Kirby commented.
“We await their findings regarding this incident. They have acknowledged their role in the strike and publicly accepted responsibility, working through the specifics of the investigation.”
The incident has strained the already fragile relationship between the United States and Israel, as the Biden administration tries to dissuade Mr. Netanyahu from a planned offensive in Rafah, resulting in over a million Gazan civilians being displaced by Israeli forces.
An additional point of contention is Israel’s restrictions on foreign journalists entering Gaza and its refusal to allow more humanitarian aid, such as food and water, into the region.
This policy has led to a food shortage and placed thousands of Gazans at risk of starvation.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has initiated the construction of a pier in Gaza to facilitate aid delivery since Israel refuses to permit more aid trucks into the territory.
To this end, Mr. Kirby affirmed that the Biden administration remains committed to urging Israel to adopt a more cautious approach but clarified that there are no plans to restrict arms sales to Israel.
“We will continue to support Israel’s ability to defend itself against this ongoing threat,” he stated.
“While we do expect them to take measures to minimize civilian casualties. Absolutely. This has been an ongoing dialogue for many months.
“They need to be more precise, targeted, and cautious.”
