Late Thursday evening U.S. State Dept. Spokesperson John Kirby released a statement following the terrorist murder of the Henkins.
The four sentence condemnation lamented the loss of life, but suggested that while the shooting was intentional, the deaths were not. Kirby, of course, urged all sides to “maintain” calm and avoid the escalation of tensions.
This is the full statement:
“The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack that took place late Thursday evening in the West Bank. The shooting resulted in the death of an Israeli couple who were driving with their young children. We extend our condolences to the victims’ family. We urge all sides to maintain calm, avoid escalating tensions in the wake of this tragedy, and work together to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
