In its first major public criticism of Israel in the ongoing offensive in Gaza, the United States has assailed its staunch ally for its “disgraceful” shelling outside a UN school on Sunday, killing at least 10 more Palestinian civilians and injuring several others.
In an unusually strongly-worded statement, the State Department said the US is “appalled” by the attack and called upon Israel to “do more to meet its own standards and avoid civilian casualties”.
“The suspicion that militants are operating nearby does not justify strikes that put at risk the lives of so many innocent civilians,” said State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki in a written statement, adding: “We call for a full and prompt investigation of this incident as well as the recent shelling of other UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) schools.”
Noting that the UN school in Rafah is sheltering some 3,000 displaced persons, the statement said the coordinates of the school, like all UN facilities in Gaza, have been repeatedly communicated to the Israeli Defense Forces.
“UN facilities, especially those sheltering civilians, must be protected, and must not be used as bases from which to launch attacks,” Psaki said, stressing: “We continue to underscore that all parties must take all feasible precautions to prevent civilian casualties and protect the civilian population and comply with international humanitarian law.”
With UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon terming the attack “a moral outrage and a criminal act”, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Samantha Power also put out a statement, dubbing the strike “horrifying”.