During the White House press briefing on Wednesday, a reporter asked John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council of the White House, why he appeared “to give the Israelis more of the benefit of the doubt than your own president.”

The reporter asked Kirby to cite examples in which Israel acted on American advice in its military campaigns in southern Gaza.

Kirby noted that Israel has used a smaller force, reduced airstrikes and published maps online of safe places for Palestinians to go and places for them to avoid.

“That’s basically telegraphing your punches,” Kirby said. “There’s very few modern militaries in the world that would do that. I don’t know that we would do that.”

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