SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A Palestinian girl, wounded in an Israeli strike on a camp for displaced Gazans, receives treatment at a hospital in Rafah on May 26, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
(Photo by Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images)
Ocasio-Cortez Says Biden Must Suspend Israeli Aid After 'Indefensible Atrocity' in Rafah
"It is long past time for the President to live up to his word," said the Democrat from New York.
May 28, 2024
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among those calling for President Joe Biden to immediately suspend all U.S. military aid to Israel as she called Sunday night's bombing of a "tent zone of innocents" in Rafah "an indefensible atrocity."
In a statement posted to X on Monday, the New York Democrat said the bombing by the Israel Defense Forces—which killed an estimated 45 people and wounded hundreds more, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health—"was done in open defiance of President Biden's red line and the [International Court of Justice's] call for a cease-fire. It is long past time for the president to live up to his word and suspend military aid."
As European leaders are reportedly considering sanctions against Israel following the attack, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council on Monday once again defended an apparent Israeli "war crime" by saying, "Israel has a right to go after Hamas."
Relief agencies on the ground and witnesses described a bombing that incinerated dozens of children and women—leaving victims burnt beyond recognition and with limbs blown off—but the unnamed U.S. spokesperson justified what others described as a "massacre" by saying, "We understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians."
The spokesperson only said that "Israel must take every precaution to protect civilians," but made no mention that sanctions might be imposed or aid suspended. Axios reports that the Biden administration is "still assessing" whether or not the attack crossed the so-called "red line" that Biden earlier this month said must not be violated by Israel.
Critics of the bombing said it was just the latest violation of international human rights law by Israel that proves a cease-fire and a suspension of the incursion is urgently needed, especially after the International Court of Justice last week called on Israel to "immediately" halt its military operations in Rafah and human rights groups have warned for months that such a military operation would result in exactly the kind of carnage unleashed Sunday.
"Attacking women and children while they cower in their shelters in Rafah is a monstrous atrocity," declared U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing Balakrishnan Rajagopal on Monday. "We need concerted global action to stop Israel's actions now."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, described the attack as "horrific," one that killed "innocent children, women, and elderly."
"This IS an incursion into Rafah," Jayapal added, "the very incursion that President Biden said he would not tolerate and would lead to stopping aid. It's past time. There is nowhere safe in Gaza."
While Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to dodge accountability by characterizing the strike as a "tragic mistake," human rights groups have documented Israeli forces repeatedly targeting civilians without fear of consequences in Gaza.
On Monday, Amnesty International released a new report alleging "war crimes" by Israel in the form of three separate airstrikes "that killed 44 Palestinian civilians, including 32 children, in the occupied Gaza Strip" last month.
The bombings—one on the al-Maghazi refugee camp on April 16, and two separate attacks on Rafah on April 19 and 20–said Amnesty, "are further evidence of a broader pattern of war crimes committed by the Israeli military in the occupied Gaza Strip in the last seven months."
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which received dozens of the victims from Sunday night's massacre in Rafah, pushed back on the argument put forth by both U.S. and Israeli officials that the airstrike was in any way "targeted" or legitimate.
"Civilians are paying the price of this war," said Samuel Johann, emergency coordinator in Gaza for MSF. "This Israeli attack on a populated camp in a so-called 'safe zone' in Rafah shows the complete disregard for the lives of civilians in Gaza."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
alexandria ocasio-cortezamnesty internationalcongressional progressive caucusinternational court of justiceisraeljoe bidenrafahwar crimesgaza
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among those calling for President Joe Biden to immediately suspend all U.S. military aid to Israel as she called Sunday night's bombing of a "tent zone of innocents" in Rafah "an indefensible atrocity."
In a statement posted to X on Monday, the New York Democrat said the bombing by the Israel Defense Forces—which killed an estimated 45 people and wounded hundreds more, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health—"was done in open defiance of President Biden's red line and the [International Court of Justice's] call for a cease-fire. It is long past time for the president to live up to his word and suspend military aid."
As European leaders are reportedly considering sanctions against Israel following the attack, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council on Monday once again defended an apparent Israeli "war crime" by saying, "Israel has a right to go after Hamas."
Relief agencies on the ground and witnesses described a bombing that incinerated dozens of children and women—leaving victims burnt beyond recognition and with limbs blown off—but the unnamed U.S. spokesperson justified what others described as a "massacre" by saying, "We understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians."
The spokesperson only said that "Israel must take every precaution to protect civilians," but made no mention that sanctions might be imposed or aid suspended. Axios reports that the Biden administration is "still assessing" whether or not the attack crossed the so-called "red line" that Biden earlier this month said must not be violated by Israel.
Critics of the bombing said it was just the latest violation of international human rights law by Israel that proves a cease-fire and a suspension of the incursion is urgently needed, especially after the International Court of Justice last week called on Israel to "immediately" halt its military operations in Rafah and human rights groups have warned for months that such a military operation would result in exactly the kind of carnage unleashed Sunday.
"Attacking women and children while they cower in their shelters in Rafah is a monstrous atrocity," declared U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing Balakrishnan Rajagopal on Monday. "We need concerted global action to stop Israel's actions now."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, described the attack as "horrific," one that killed "innocent children, women, and elderly."
"This IS an incursion into Rafah," Jayapal added, "the very incursion that President Biden said he would not tolerate and would lead to stopping aid. It's past time. There is nowhere safe in Gaza."
While Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to dodge accountability by characterizing the strike as a "tragic mistake," human rights groups have documented Israeli forces repeatedly targeting civilians without fear of consequences in Gaza.
On Monday, Amnesty International released a new report alleging "war crimes" by Israel in the form of three separate airstrikes "that killed 44 Palestinian civilians, including 32 children, in the occupied Gaza Strip" last month.
The bombings—one on the al-Maghazi refugee camp on April 16, and two separate attacks on Rafah on April 19 and 20–said Amnesty, "are further evidence of a broader pattern of war crimes committed by the Israeli military in the occupied Gaza Strip in the last seven months."
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which received dozens of the victims from Sunday night's massacre in Rafah, pushed back on the argument put forth by both U.S. and Israeli officials that the airstrike was in any way "targeted" or legitimate.
"Civilians are paying the price of this war," said Samuel Johann, emergency coordinator in Gaza for MSF. "This Israeli attack on a populated camp in a so-called 'safe zone' in Rafah shows the complete disregard for the lives of civilians in Gaza."
From Your Site Articles
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among those calling for President Joe Biden to immediately suspend all U.S. military aid to Israel as she called Sunday night's bombing of a "tent zone of innocents" in Rafah "an indefensible atrocity."
In a statement posted to X on Monday, the New York Democrat said the bombing by the Israel Defense Forces—which killed an estimated 45 people and wounded hundreds more, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health—"was done in open defiance of President Biden's red line and the [International Court of Justice's] call for a cease-fire. It is long past time for the president to live up to his word and suspend military aid."
As European leaders are reportedly considering sanctions against Israel following the attack, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council on Monday once again defended an apparent Israeli "war crime" by saying, "Israel has a right to go after Hamas."
Relief agencies on the ground and witnesses described a bombing that incinerated dozens of children and women—leaving victims burnt beyond recognition and with limbs blown off—but the unnamed U.S. spokesperson justified what others described as a "massacre" by saying, "We understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians."
The spokesperson only said that "Israel must take every precaution to protect civilians," but made no mention that sanctions might be imposed or aid suspended. Axios reports that the Biden administration is "still assessing" whether or not the attack crossed the so-called "red line" that Biden earlier this month said must not be violated by Israel.
Critics of the bombing said it was just the latest violation of international human rights law by Israel that proves a cease-fire and a suspension of the incursion is urgently needed, especially after the International Court of Justice last week called on Israel to "immediately" halt its military operations in Rafah and human rights groups have warned for months that such a military operation would result in exactly the kind of carnage unleashed Sunday.
"Attacking women and children while they cower in their shelters in Rafah is a monstrous atrocity," declared U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing Balakrishnan Rajagopal on Monday. "We need concerted global action to stop Israel's actions now."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, described the attack as "horrific," one that killed "innocent children, women, and elderly."
"This IS an incursion into Rafah," Jayapal added, "the very incursion that President Biden said he would not tolerate and would lead to stopping aid. It's past time. There is nowhere safe in Gaza."
While Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to dodge accountability by characterizing the strike as a "tragic mistake," human rights groups have documented Israeli forces repeatedly targeting civilians without fear of consequences in Gaza.
On Monday, Amnesty International released a new report alleging "war crimes" by Israel in the form of three separate airstrikes "that killed 44 Palestinian civilians, including 32 children, in the occupied Gaza Strip" last month.
The bombings—one on the al-Maghazi refugee camp on April 16, and two separate attacks on Rafah on April 19 and 20–said Amnesty, "are further evidence of a broader pattern of war crimes committed by the Israeli military in the occupied Gaza Strip in the last seven months."
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which received dozens of the victims from Sunday night's massacre in Rafah, pushed back on the argument put forth by both U.S. and Israeli officials that the airstrike was in any way "targeted" or legitimate.
"Civilians are paying the price of this war," said Samuel Johann, emergency coordinator in Gaza for MSF. "This Israeli attack on a populated camp in a so-called 'safe zone' in Rafah shows the complete disregard for the lives of civilians in Gaza."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.