An Israeli airstrike has devastated a tented area for displaced people in Rafah, killing 45 individuals, according to medical sources.
The strike caused a massive blaze, with images of burned and dismembered children sparking outrage among global leaders and jeopardizing ceasefire negotiations.
The overnight bombing, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated was aimed at senior Hamas militants in a precision attack, quickly spread fires through tents and temporary shelters.
This overwhelmed a nearby field hospital run by the International Committee of the Red Cross and local hospitals already stretched to their limits.
“We pulled out people who were in an unbearable state,” said Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in Tel al-Sultan.
“We pulled out children who were in pieces.
We pulled out young and elderly people.
The fire in the camp was unreal.”
The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled area reported that about half of the fatalities were women, children, and the elderly.
On Monday, barefoot children wandered through the smoldering wreckage as search efforts continued and mourning families prepared burials for their loved ones.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed parliament, stating, “something unfortunately went tragically wrong” with the airstrike.
He assured that the incident is under investigation and that conclusions would be reached.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, described the aftermath as devastating.
This strike, one of the deadliest single incidents in the eight-month conflict, occurred just two days after the International Court of Justice in The Hague ordered Israel to cease its operations in Rafah immediately.
More than 85% of the Palestinian territory’s population had sought refuge in the area, fleeing fighting elsewhere.
Since Israel’s ground operation began on May 6, over a million people have been forced to move again.
Israeli ground troops have so far targeted Rafah’s southern and eastern outskirts, avoiding its densely populated center.
Aid deliveries have dwindled to almost nothing, with the Rafah and nearby Kerem Shalom crossings effectively blocked.
International criticism of Israel’s war against Hamas has intensified alongside the rising death toll and the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Israeli officials maintain that a ground operation in Rafah, believed to be housing Hamas’s leadership and four battalions of fighters along with Israeli hostages, is essential for “total victory.”
Despite the ICJ’s binding, though unenforceable, order, several countries urged Israel to comply with the judges’ 13-2 decision following the Rafah strike.
Qatar, a key mediator in ceasefire and hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas, stated that the Rafah casualties would complicate the already difficult talks.
Hamas reportedly withdrew from the latest proposed negotiations, describing the incident as a massacre.
Egypt and Jordan, long-time peace partners with Israel, condemned the Rafah strike.
Relations between Egypt and Israel, already strained, worsened after an exchange of fire in the Rafah crossing area led to the death of an Egyptian security officer.
Both nations’ militaries are reviewing the incident.
France expressed outrage over the Rafah strike, with President Emmanuel Macron calling for an immediate ceasefire and full respect for international law.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Paris to protest against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, condemned the attack, stating he was horrified by the news coming out of Rafah.
Italy’s Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, warned of the long-term repercussions for Israel, suggesting that such bombings would foster enduring hatred.
The African Union Commission’s head, Moussa Faki Mahamat, criticized Israel for violating international law and disregarding the ICJ ruling.
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, expressed horror at the strikes and called for an immediate ceasefire, stating that Canada does not support the Israeli military operation in Rafah.
In response to criticism, the IDF claimed it had not anticipated civilian casualties and had targeted an area outside the latest “evacuation zone.”
However, this assertion seemed to contradict a previous “safe zone” map from May 22.
The IDF reported that the bombing had killed Hamas’s chief of staff for the West Bank and another senior official responsible for deadly attacks on Israelis.
The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the capture of 250 hostages, has since claimed over 36,000 Palestinian lives, according to local health officials.
The ongoing Israeli operation has left civilians in dire conditions without adequate healthcare, food, or water, and has largely destroyed the coastal territory.
The Rafah attack drew significant attention in Hebrew-language media, which has often limited coverage of Gaza’s devastation.
Some right-wing Israeli journalists controversially celebrated the attack, likening it to the Jewish bonfire festival, Lag B’Omer.
Hostilities also escalated on Israel’s northern border.
Hezbollah launched rockets at Israeli territory in retaliation for an Israeli strike near a hospital in southern Lebanon earlier in the day.
Israel has been in conflict with the Iranian-backed militia since October 8, when Hezbollah began firing missiles in support of Hamas.
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