Any operation into Rafah 'must account' for more than 1 million people: Pentagon

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin noted any Israeli operation into Gaza's southern city of Rafah that does not take into account more than 1 million people would be a "mistake," the Pentagon said Tuesday.

"What we continue to reiterate, both publicly and privately, is that any type of operation into Rafah must account for over 1 million people that are sheltered there and take into account innocent civilian lives.

"So, what we've said is going forward with an operation in Rafah would be a mistake if those lives aren't taken into account," spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Her remarks came after Austin and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, met at the Pentagon where they affirmed a shared interest in defeating Hamas, discussed the importance of prioritizing civilians and Rafah, the dire humanitarian situation across Gaza and threats to regional security.

"The secretary stressed that the US and Israel have a moral imperative and a shared strategic interest in safeguarding civilians, noting that any assault on Rafah should not proceed without a credible and implementable plan that ensures the safety and humanitarian support for civilians sheltering there," she said.

Austin urged Gallant to expand entry points for humanitarian assistance and address distribution challenges inside Gaza, said Singh.

"He also reiterated the department's commitment to establish a temporary maritime corridor to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza,” she said.

Singh said the men discussed the maritime corridor that is still going to be set up "as planned."

"We're still a few weeks away from that being fully operational, but that will still be set up," she added.

When asked about the US versus Israel's role in logistics, Singh said: "So, that's something that did also come up with Minister Gallant.

"Israel will play a role in providing some type of security and securing the temporary causeway to the coastline of Gaza. But those details are still ... going through the process of being worked out. In terms of the distribution of humanitarian aid, that is also something that is ongoing," she added.

- 3 bundles had parachute malfunctions, landed in sea

Turning to US airdrops into Gaza, Singh said between March 2 - 26, US Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted 17 airdrops into Gaza with more than 470,000 culturally appropriate pork-free meals and over 8 tons of food items such as rice flour, pasta and canned food.

Stressing the importance of safety when planning the airdrops, Singh added: "Of note, during these humanitarian airdrop, which included approximately 80 bundles, three bundles were reported to have had parachute malfunctions, and landed into the water.

"It is important to note that drop zones are chosen to mitigate potential failures of parachutes to deploy," she said, adding the drops occurred above water and the wind caused the bundles to drift above land.

"In the event of a parachute malfunction, the bundles land into water," she said.

When asked about reports about 12 victims who were killed trying to reach aid that fell into the sea, Singh said: "I've seen the reports. I can't confirm those reports, but, I have seen them."

At least 18 Palestinians were killed Tuesday in the Gaza Strip when an aid airdrop operation malfunctioned, according to Gaza’s Media Office.

The fatalities included 12 victims who drowned in the sea in the northern Gaza Strip and six in a stampede while trying to obtain the aid, the office said in a statement.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian territory since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in which less than 1,200 Israelis were killed.

More than 32,333 Palestinians have since been killed and over 74,694 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war, now in day 172, has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.