'Doesn't make it right': John Kirby slammed for comparing Israeli airstrike on civilians to US bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Spokesman John Kirby took a firm stance in defending Israel following a recent airstrike in Gaza that resulted in significant civilian casualties.

Addressing the press on Tuesday, May 28, Kirby acknowledged the tragic loss of life but contextualized it within the broader scope of military operations, drawing comparisons to past US actions in conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We have conducted airstrikes in places like Iraq and Afghanistan where, tragically, we caused civilian casualties,” Kirby said. “We owned up to it, we investigated it, and we tried to learn from it to make changes."

Kirby highlights US military actions and civilian casualties

Kirby highlighted specific instances of US military actions that resulted in civilian casualties, including the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. “As we pulled out of Afghanistan, we conducted an airstrike which tragically killed a father and some of his kids,” he recounted.

“We atoned for it, we learned from it, and we put in place procedures to try to prevent that from happening again, and that’s what our expectations would be in this case,” Kirby continued.

Reports indicate that the airstrike in question led to the deaths of at least 44 displaced Palestinians.

Kirby pointed out that Israel employed precision-guided munitions in the strike, aiming to minimize collateral damage. He also mentioned that the Hamas terrorist group acknowledged the deaths of two senior leaders in the strike, which suggests these figures were among the civilians.

Kirby explained that preliminary findings by the Israeli military suggested an unintended secondary explosion as the cause of the civilian deaths. “Hamas itself put out a statement celebrating the martyrdom of two of its fighters… So I don’t know how anybody could dispute that they weren’t trying to go after Hamas in a targeted, precise way in this regard,” he said.

He further elaborated on the nature of the munitions used, “The Israelis have said they used 37-pound bombs, precision-guided munitions. A 37-pound bomb is not a big bomb, and it is exactly the kind of munition that indicates an effort to be discrete, targeted, and precise.”

Kirby defends Israel's actions amid Gaza airstrike and civilian casualties

Despite defending Israel's actions, Kirby acknowledged the tragic outcome and the necessity for a thorough investigation.

“Now, obviously this had tragic results, and obviously that needs to be investigated, and we need to know why even using small-diameter, precision-guided munitions this was able to happen. But we’ll have to let the Israelis get to the bottom of that,” he said.

Kirby also addressed the broader context of the conflict, reminding critics of the events that led to the current situation.

“Maybe some people have forgotten what happened on the seventh of October, but we haven’t — 1,200 innocent Israelis slaughtered, mutilated, tortured,” he stated, referencing the surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel.

He emphasized the continued threat posed by Hamas, which has taken hundreds of hostages, including five Americans.

“By the way, if you think Hamas is just gone, they’re not gone from Rafah or from Gaza, and if you think they’ve abandoned their intent towards the nation of Israel, think again. They haven’t,” Kirby asserted. “So Israel has every right to not want to live next to that kind of threat, and yes, we’re going to continue to provide them the capabilities to go after it.”

President Biden’s position on the conflict has evolved over time. Initially, he took a strong pro-Israel stance, even visiting the country shortly after the conflict began. However, recent months have seen increased criticism of the Israeli military, including halting the delivery of some heavy bombs to deter a major offensive against Hamas, the New York Post reported.

Kirby slammed on social media

On social media, Kirby’s defense of Israel and comparisons to past US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan sparked quite a backlash.

"Doesn’t make it right," one posted on X.

"Not the win you were looking for," another wrote.

"Sad and heartbreaking response! It’s only humans being killed! Disgrace!" someone else fumed.

"I was surprised he said it because I don’t recall Biden apologizing for bombing a family to distract from his disastrous evacuation of Afghanistan," a comment read.

"Nice of you to finally admit it," another chimed in.

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