White House says US concerned about Palestinians killed, detained in West Bank
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Asked whether the US is concerned by the 163 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and the 1,319 Palestinians placed under administrative detention by the IDF since October 7, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby responds: “Yes.”
US President Joe Biden has raised his concern with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the recent uptick of deadly settler violence in the West Bank, but Kirby’s admission reveals that US opposition extends to broader Israeli military policy beyond the Green Line.
Israel says the vast majority of Palestinians killed were in clashes with IDF troops while justifying the controversial administrative detention policy — under which detainees can be jailed for months at a time without due process — as necessary for combatting terror.
