Strategic Communications coordinator on Israel and aid workers deaths
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications for the National Security Council, spoke with Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments that Israel is "one step away from victory."
"We have been very clear with the Prime Minister and his team, that we don't support a ground operation in Rafah, that there are other ways, other options that they need to look at, for how they're going to go after the Hamas that still is in Rafah. We had a virtual meeting last week, we expect to have an in person meeting with Israeli counterparts in the next week or so. We're still narrowing down the schedule where we hope to be able to present in more detail. Our thinking some of our alternatives, the kinds of things that we want them to learn from our own experiences, about how to do operations of this regard."
John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications, National Security Council
During the interview, Brennan and Kirby spoke about Israel's explanation of what happened in the World Central Kitchen (WCK) attack that killed a group of aid workers, saying the Secretary General for Doctors Without Borders, Chris Lockyear, does not accept Israel's explanation.
"We understand the frustration that they have. We share that frustration and there have been too many aid workers killed by Israeli operations. And that is why the President was so firm with Prime Minister Netanyahu and their call this week about they've got to change the way they're doing this. And the deconfliction process does matter...Clearly, this broke down, no question about it. We're not arguing that it hasn't...Our case to the Israelis: You got to do more, you got to do it better. It's got to improve because we've already seen some aid organizations now pulling back. Not just World Central Kitchen, but others. This is a time when the people of Gaza need food, water, medicine, more than any."
John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications, National Security Council
To watch more of Brennan's interview with Kirby, click here.
