The United States gave Israel the green light to kill civilians in Rafah despite public statements from US officials calling on Israel to develop a plan to protect civilians in the city, which is home to an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians.

American officials told Politico that the Biden administration does not plan any consequences for Israel if it goes ahead with a major attack on Rafah, which will inevitably lead to the death of a large number of civilians. “No retaliation plans are in preparation, meaning Israeli forces could enter the city and harm civilians without facing US consequences,” the report said.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby explained in a press conference on Monday that the United States is not considering cutting off military aid to Israel if it goes ahead with the attack. When asked if the United States had threatened to withhold aid, Kirby said: “We will continue to support Israel...and we will continue to make sure they have the tools and the capabilities to do that.”

President Biden is also not reconsidering his full support for the Israeli massacre in Gaza despite reports that he disparages Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in private conversations.

Congress is also supportive of continuing to support the mass killing of Palestinians, as the Senate voted to pass a $95 billion foreign military aid bill, which includes $14 billion for Israel. Only 20 Republicans voted for the bill, but the opposition is due to the lack of a border agreement, with nearly all Republicans in favor of unconditional support for Israel, even more so than Democrats in Congress.

The pre-war population of Rafah was 275,000, which means that Palestinians displaced from other areas in the Strip increased the population five-fold. The majority of Palestinians in the city are sheltering in tents on the streets, making them particularly vulnerable to Israeli attack. Israeli air strikes on Rafah on Sunday night and into Monday morning led to the deaths of 27 children and 22 women.