White House says IDF strike on Rafah is ‘heartbreaking', Benjamin Netanyahu admits to ‘tragic mistake'

WASHINGTON, DC: The White House has said it is heartbroken over the latest air strike by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah of Southern Gaza on Sunday night May 26.

Following the White House statement and succumbing to international pressure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged the ‘tragic mistake’ after images from the Tal al-Sultan area went viral, showing decapitated bodies, triggering outrage.

White House warns Isreal to protect Gaza civilians

In relation to the deaths in Rafah, the White House issued a statement on Monday.

"The devastating images following an IDF strike in Rafah last night that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians are heartbreaking," a spokesperson for President Joe Biden's National Security Council said according to Daily Mail. 

"Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians," added the spokesperson. 

"But as we've been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened, and understand that the IDF is conducting an investigation," the statement concluded. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Rafah strike is a 'tragedy'

In the air strike, 45 people have been killed, including 23 women, children, and elderly, the Hamas-run health ministry has confirmed.

In the attack, 249 others were wounded, with the death toll expected to rise as many were still trapped under the debris as The Hill reported. 

IDF has claimed Yassin Rabia, a Hamas commander, and Khaled Nagar, another senior Hamas official were the targets of the strike who were killed. 

Israel's military said it was investigating the civilian deaths. Netanyahu called the civilian deaths a "tragic accident."

“Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake,” Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israel’s parliament.

“We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion, because this is our policy," he said.

"For us, every uninvolved civilian who is hurt is a tragedy. For Hamas it's a strategy. That's the whole difference," he claimed.

Latest strike comes amid ICJ's third ruling to halt offensive in Rafah

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, the third of its kind this year, ordered Israel to halt its offensive, citing “immense risk” to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians taking shelter in Rafah.

More than 800,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee Rafah since Israel launched the current offensive, according to reports. 

Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed and vast swaths of Gaza have been flatted by Israeli carpetbombing.

The offensive also comes after ICJ prosecutors sought an arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders which was harshly criticized by Biden and various other US lawmakers, besides leaders from other countries. 

"The ICC prosecutor's application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous," he said in a statement.

He followed up with a passionate address at a Jewish event at the White House "Whatever these warrants may imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas," said the President.

Israel's Rafah strike receives global condemnation

The latest strike on Rafah in Gaza stirred the international political scenario, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying he was "outraged."

"Outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah," he said on X.

"These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians," he added. "I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that the ICJ ruling must be respected.

"International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war," Baerbock said.