Washington - Saeed Erekat - 5/29/2024

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that he could not verify whether Israel used weapons supplied by the United States in its horrific attack on tents for displaced people in Rafah last Sunday, adding that the weapons used and how should be the subject of investigation into the attack.

Blinken added to reporters during a visit to Moldova that the type of weapons used and how they were used should be the purpose of investigating the attack, describing what happened in Rafah as a “horrific incident.”

An analysis by the American CNN network said, on Wednesday, that “munitions manufactured in the United States were used” in the Israeli raid on Sunday evening, which was followed by strong international condemnations.

Blinken revealed that Washington made clear to Israel the necessity of immediately conducting an investigation into the killing of civilians in the Rafah displaced persons camp and determining what happened.

The Israeli raid on a camp for displaced people in the Tal Al-Sittan neighborhood killed 45 people and injured 249 others, according to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip. A second raid on Tuesday on tents for displaced people in the west of the city led to the death of 21 people.

The US Secretary of State urged Israel to develop a post-war plan in Gaza and warned that its absence could lead to chaos, anarchy, and the return of Hamas to the Strip.

Speaking at a press conference in Moldova, Blinken said, “While Israel has achieved real success in destroying Hamas’ ability to repeat an attack like the one that occurred on October 7, the Israeli government must now ask whether there are further gains against Israel. And it will be Hamas.” "Able to continue without a post-war plan."

He pointed to the additional difficulty of Hamas being so closely located to civilians.

Blinken said, “I think this confirms the necessity of having a plan for the next day because in the absence of a plan for the next day, there will be no next day,” and that “if this is not the case, Hamas will remain responsible, which is unacceptable. If this is not the case, we will face... Chaos, chaos and emptiness."

The three-week Israeli attack on Rafah sparked renewed anger after an air strike on Sunday ignited a fire in a camp in the western area of Rafah, killing at least 45 people.

Israel claimed that it targeted two senior Hamas activists in a compound and did not intend to cause civilian casualties.