US govt. spokesman dodges questions on Israeli aggression in Gaza, draws ire

US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price on Monday dodged questions from reporters regarding the latest Israeli aggression in the besieged Gaza strip, refusing to condemn Israeli war crimes.

At the start of Monday's briefing, Price stressed “Israel's legitimate right to defend itself and to defend its people and its territory."  

When asked by a reporter if he thinks the principle of self-defense applies to the retaliatory airstrikes being conducted by the Palestinian resistance groups, Price showed he was not prepared for it.

“I would hesitate to comment on the operations beyond the rocket fire that is clearly targeting innocent civilians in Israel,” the spokesman said, turning blind eye to Israeli regime’s reckless bombardments.

“I would hesitate to speak to specific operations that have just occurred,” the spokesman said, appearing to defend the Israeli regime’s war crimes, “but the broader principle of self-defense is something we stand by on behalf of Israel and every other country.”

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Pressed by reporters on whether Israeli military response to the rockets coming in was covered by this “broad rubric of self-defense”, Price appeared clueless, saying that self-defense “often does authorize the use of force”.

The US State Department spokesman was repeatedly grilled by a small group of reporters at the briefing on the “principle of self-defense”.

“Does that (principle of self-defense) in any way apply to the Palestinians, do they have a right to self-defense, do Palestinians have a right to self-defense” a reporter asked Prince.

Price’s response, again, was vague and un-informed. “Broadly speaking, we believe in the concept of self-defense, we believe it applies to any state.”

When a reporter referred to the killing of Palestinians in Monday night’s bombardment by Israeli regime, including dozens of children, and asked whether he condemns that, Price said the reports are “just emerging” and said he does not “have independent confirmation of facts on the ground”.

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“I am very hesitant to get into reports that are just emerging,” he quipped, refusing to condemn the atrocities that have widely been reported and corroborated by leading human rights watchdogs.

Price drew criticism for his spineless defense of the Israeli regime from a vocal Democratic Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar.

Omar said the “unsurprising response” from Price was “devoid of empathy and concern for human suffering, saying "he can't even condemn the killing of children.”

Israeli regime’s aggression

Israeli regime planes continued to fire missiles into the occupied Palestinian territories on Tuesday, with Health Ministry putting the death toll at 26, including nine children.

At least 215 Palestinians were injured in attacks by Israeli regime forces on Monday at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, including 153 who were later hospitalized, according to media reports.

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It is the most serious aggression by the Israeli regime on Palestine since 2019, which began on Monday after Israeli settlers and troops stormed the holy Al Asqa Mosque in Jerusalem.

According to reports, Israeli regime officials have been working behind the scenes to make sure the Biden administration does not intervene in the issue.

Pertinently, more than 300 US lawmakers, in a letter last month, had called on Washington to continue aid to the Israeli regime without conditions or reduction, indicating a continued dalliance between the two sides.

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