White House stated on Tuesday that Israel's recent strike in Rafah and ground actions do not constitute a "major ground operation" that would breach President Joe Biden's warnings..

 By Chantal Da Silva, Monica Alba, Raf Sanchez, and Abigail Williams

As Israeli forces advanced further into Rafah just days after an airstrike caused a significant fire that killed dozens of Palestinians, the White House stated that its ally had not crossed the Biden administration’s “red line.” On Tuesday, Israeli tanks were seen entering central Rafah for the first time, amidst growing international condemnation over the deaths in a crowded tent camp for displaced civilians. Additionally, U.S. aid deliveries to Gaza by sea were suspended after damage to its temporary pier. On Wednesday, Israel's national security adviser indicated that the war was expected to continue through the end of the year. U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, addressing reporters at a briefing, asserted that the U.S. was not ignoring Israel’s operations in the southern Gaza city, which around 1 million Palestinians have fled in recent weeks. Kirby stated that the Biden administration did not consider Israel’s actions in Rafah to constitute a “major ground operation” that would breach President Joe Biden’s warnings and potentially lead to a change in U.S. policy, including a threatened halt to weapons shipments. “A major ground operation involves thousands and thousands of troops moving in a maneuvered, concentrated, coordinated way against a variety of targets on the ground,” he explained. A U.S. official told NBC News that while the deadly strike was seen as a “horrific incident,” it appeared to be the result of an airstrike gone “horribly wrong” and did not represent Israel “smashing into Rafah.” Earlier this month, Biden told CNN: “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities — that deal with that problem." When asked by NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez how Israeli tanks nearing central Gaza did not constitute a full-scale ground operation, Kirby replied that Israeli officials claimed their tanks were moving along the Philadelphi Corridor, a key strategic strip along the Egypt-Gaza border, and “not in the town proper.” “That’s what the Israelis have said,” Kirby stated. “We’re going based on what the Israelis are telling us and what they’re saying publicly and what we’re able to discern, as best we can.” Kirby and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to questions about an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza refugee camp that killed Hamas operatives and dozens of civilians. Kirby's remarks followed the Israeli airstrike that ignited a fire in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, killing at least 45 people, including children, according to local health officials. Hala Rharrit, a U.S. diplomat who resigned from the State Department in protest over Washington’s policy on Israel’s war in Gaza, criticized the Biden administration's stance. “The point of the president saying population centers were a ‘red line’ is to avoid mass civilian casualties,” she said. “Whether they’re going in by tanks or it’s happening via bombs from the air, are we really trying to mince words?” The attack on the tent camp has intensified international pressure, with the United Nations’ top court ordering Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah. The U.N. Security Council could vote on a draft resolution by Algeria demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, according to The Associated Press. Israel submitted a new ceasefire proposal to Qatari, Egyptian, and American mediators, offering a “sustainable calm” but not a complete end to the war as demanded by Hamas. However, senior Hamas official Basem Naim said Hamas had not received any proposal from the mediators. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated that Israel was still investigating the Rafah strike and the cause of the fire that resulted in the tragic loss of life. He noted that the IDF targeted two senior Hamas militants but suggested that weapons stored in the area might have ignited the fire, though this was an "assumption" at this point. The images from the strike have increased pressure on the U.S. to act. During Tuesday’s White House briefing, Kirby was asked how many “charred corpses” Biden needed to see before changing policy. He expressed offense at the question, saying, “We don’t want to see a single more innocent life taken.” The IDF has conducted a monthslong ground offensive in Gaza, during which more than 36,000 people have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel launched the offensive following Hamas’ October 7 attacks, which killed around 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Approximately 125 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, with a third presumed dead. On Wednesday, national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said on Israeli radio that another seven months of fighting were expected this year to destroy Hamas's governmental and military capabilities. Biden’s warning over the U.S. “red line” echoes former President Barack Obama’s warning in 2012 regarding chemical weapons use in Syria. Critics accused Obama of failing to act when that boundary was crossed, with political opponent John McCain claiming the red line appeared to be “written in disappearing ink.” **Chantal Da Silva** reports on world news for NBC News Digital and is based in London. **Monica Alba** is a White House correspondent for NBC News. **Raf Sanchez** is a foreign correspondent for NBC News. **Abigail Williams** is a producer and reporter for NBC News covering the State Department. Gabe Gutierrez and Ghael Fobes contributed.