The IDF said troops were not trying to “hide anything” by covering the bodies of the first responders killed, and instead wanted to protect them from “wild animals” before moving on to another mission. Asked why the vehicles were also damaged and covered, it said that was “common procedure” to cover them with a camouflage net and that they were damaged while being moved.
The U.N. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House on Sunday said Trump held Hamas responsible for the incident because Hamas uses ambulances and “human shields.”
Netanyahu’s visit to Washington this week comes at a tricky time for the Israeli leader.
On Sunday, he said that he planned to discuss “the hostages, the completion of the victory in Gaza, and of course the tariff regime that was also imposed on Israel.”
Trump’s sweeping actions on tariffs policy included a 17% levy on Israeli goods, despite Israel having canceled all its tariffs on goods from the U.S., its largest trading partner.
The visit also comes after a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed by Israeli troops in the village of Turmusaya in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian officials identified the teenager as American Palestinian Omar Muhammad Sa’ada Rabi. NBC News was not immediately able to independently confirm his identity with American officials or reach his family
In a statement, the IDF said it had identified three people “who hurled rocks toward the highway, thus endangering civilians driving.” It said the soldiers decided to open fire toward the three people, killing one person and hitting two others.
As of Monday morning, the White House did not appear to have commented on the incident.
This article was originally published by a www.nbcnews.com . Read the Original article here. .