John Kirby, the coordinator of strategic communications for the National Security Council, expressed deep regret for the innocent lives lost, especially children, in the recent Israel Defence Forces (IDF) strike in Rafah.

In a statement, Kirby said, "These devastating images and reports coming out of Rafah over the weekend following an IDF strike that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians, including children. You've all seen the images and they're heartbreaking. They're horrific." He emphasised the need to prevent any innocent casualties in the conflict, stressing, "There should be no innocent life lost here as a result of this conflict."