Hours before the Israel Defense Forces began targeted strikes in Rafah on Monday, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) stated that it can not be overstated “how catastrophic a ground invasion in Rafah would be for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.” The member of the so-called “Squad” cited the United Nations, claiming that hundreds of thousands of people would be at “immediate risk of death” amid a ground operation in Rafah. Omar said that “anyone who believes in the sanctity of human life” ought to see an IDF operation in Rafah as a “red line,” as U.S. President Joe Biden said it would be.

“The administration must use its most potent leverage and restrict military aid to Israel,” Omar said. “Condemnations and warnings are not enough.” She added that the Biden administration’s reported decision to “hold on a shipment of U.S.-made ammunition to Israel” was “a step in the right direction to use all political leverage to end this impending invasion and looming war crime from taking place.”Omar’s remarks came on Holocaust Remembrance Day. “Palestinians have endured decades of occupation, displacement and apartheid, watching their dreams of self-determination and dignity grow more distant with every American-backed escalation,” she accused.