Nikki Haley sparks outrage with ‘finish them’ message on Israeli bomb

Former US presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has sparked outrage by writing “Finish Them” on an artillery shell during a Memorial Day visit to the Israeli military near the border with Lebanon.

Photos of the former South Carolina governor writing on the bomb were shared by Israeli parliamentarian and former envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, who accompanied the American politician.

Ms Haley’s message also carried the words “America loves Israel”.

The politician’s graphic show of support for Israel came at a time of international outcry over its offensive in southern Rafah city, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing Israeli bombardment of Gaza have taken shelter.

An Israeli airstrike on Sunday killed at least 45 people, mostly women and children, sheltering in a tent camp in the city.

Israel’s war in Gaza has killed over 36,000 Palestinians, nearly half of them children, reduced much of the territory to a heap of rubble and left more than 80 percent of its 2.2 million people homeless and starving.

The Israeli invasion followed an attack by Hamas on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 soldiers and civilians.

Ms Haley was unapologetic when she spoke to reporters after her stunt and criticised US president Joe Biden for temporarily withholding weapons from Israel to discourage an attack on Rafah.

She also lashed out at the International Criminal Court, which is seeking arrest of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant, and the International Court of Justice, which is considering charges of genocide against Israel.

“What America needs to understand is if Israel’s fighting our enemies how can we not help them?” Ms Haley said. “The sure way to not help Israel is to