US Responds to MER-C’s Open Letter regarding Gaza Conflict

Jakarta, MINA – The United States government responded to the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) open letter to President Joe Biden regarding the conflict in Gaza.

The response was conveyed by US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby when asked by a journalist in the US about the MER-C open letter.

Letter signed by the Chairman of the MER-C Presidium, dr. Sarbini Abdul Murad on Monday urged President Biden to stop supporting Israel and immediately implement a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The following is the content of John Kirby’s response received by MINA on Thursday:

President Biden has made it clear that we’re going to continue to support Israel as they conduct these operations against Hamas.

They have a right and a responsibility to do that no nation should have to suffer the attacks that they suffered on October 7, then we’re going to continue to stand with Israel, and we’re going to do so in a steadfast way.

At the same time, we’re going to continue to urge Israel to be as careful and deliberate and cautious in their targeting and then our operations as possible so that impact on civilian life can be minimized civilian casualties can be reduced obvious see many 1000s of innocent people in Gaza have been killed as a result of this conflict and certainly we don’t want to see any more killed.

We don’t want to see any more wounded and we’ll continue to work with with Israel to that effect. But I also think it’s important to remember who’s putting these people in harm’s way. And that’s Hamas.

Hamas started this on the seventh of October by slaughtering innocent Israelis, some of them in their homes, some of them in front of their kids. And then they go back to Gaza. And what do they do? They hide in tunnels, they hide in hospitals, they put innocent people of Gaza, in the crossfire between the Israeli Defense Forces and themselves, that itself is a war crime. That itself is a violation of international law. That’s abominable. And that’s the kind of threat that the Israelis are facing. (L/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)