Dozens dead in ‘barbaric’ strike, hundreds of thousands flee, yet White House insists no red line has been crossed in Rafah

The Biden administration said it would continue to support Israel’s war in Gaza following an Israeli airstrike on a displaced persons camp in Rafah that killed dozens of Palestinians on Sunday and prompted global outrage.

White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said that the deadly strike, and reports that Israeli tanks were moving into center of the city on Tuesday, did not constitute a breach of the “red line” set by president Joe Biden that would cause him to reconsider his support.

“This is an air strike. It’s not a major ground operation,” he said, adding that the US would await the result of an Israeli investigation.

Graphic videos and photos shared online from the aftermath of the strike showed a person appearing to be burned alive, bodies of women and children who had been burned, and a man holding up the body of a baby who had been seemingly decapitated.

At least 50 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured in the attack that targeted an area filled with tents, many of which caught on fire, according to the Gaza health authorities.

Witnesses said a further 37 people were killed on Tuesday by Israeli shelling and airstrikes, most of them while they were sheltering in tents in the same area where the deadly strikes on Sunday killed dozens. They also said Israeli tanks had moved into the centre of Rafah.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US was “deeply saddened” by the initial strike, adding that the US has reached out to Israel to demand an investigation and raise concerns.

“The [Israeli army] is continuing to investigate this matter and has promised that its investigation will be swift, comprehensive and transparent. We will be watching those results closely,” he said.

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