The United States has requested additional information from Israel regarding a recent strike near a hospital in southern Beirut that resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people, including four children, as reported by the Lebanese health ministry. A State Department spokesperson confirmed this development.
While expressing support for Israel's efforts to weaken Hezbollah through its operations, the US emphasized the importance of minimizing the impact on civilians and civilian infrastructure. State Department Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel stressed the need for the Israel Defense Forces to take every possible measure to protect civilians.
Despite the tragic incident, the US has not initiated its own investigation at this time to determine whether adequate precautions were taken to safeguard civilians during the strike. Patel highlighted that there are established mechanisms and procedures in place to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and to reduce harm to civilians as much as possible.
