Israel strikes Rafah as pressure mounts over war in Gaza
Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has expressed horror following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah that killed at least 35 people on Sunday night, according to Gaza’s health ministry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MSF said in a statement that the attack “shows once again that nowhere is safe.”
“Dozens of wounded and more than 15 dead people were brought to the trauma stabilization point that we support,” MSF added.
The humanitarian group reiterated its call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza.
What officials have said so far: The Israeli military said it was targeting a Hamas compound in Rafah and killed two senior Hamas officials in the strike. It also acknowledged reports of a fire breaking out and harm to civilians in the area, saying the incident is under review.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society and Gaza officials say the strike hit a camp for displaced people, which had been designated a “safe zone.” Video obtained by CNN shows tent-like structures on fire.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority presidency described the incident as a “massacre” and urged the international community to intervene immediately against what he called crimes against the Palestinian people. He also criticized the US for what he said is failing to hold its ally Israel accountable
Remember: Over a million Palestinians — many already displaced by Israel’s offensive in other parts of the enclave — had been sheltering in Rafah before Israel began its operations there. Many have now fled, but say they have nowhere safe to go.
Israel’s actions in Rafah have served as a flashpoint for the unprecedented level of diplomatic pressure it is now facing over the war in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces identified the individuals as Yassin Rabia, who it said was the commander of Hamas’ leadership in Judea and Samaria, and Khaled Nagar, who it said was a senior official in the Hamas wing for the same regions.
The military said it made the strike on Tal al-Sultan in northwest Rafah “based on precise intelligence.” It said earlier Sunday that it had struck a Hamas compound in the area.
The IDF also repeated its early statement that it is aware of reports indicating the strike harmed civilians, and that the strikes are under review.
What officials in Gaza are saying: The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said 35 people were killed in the attack and dozens more injured, and that most of them were women and children.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society and Gaza government media officials have said the civilian area hit was a camp for displaced people.
Video obtained by CNN shows tent-like structures on fire. Video from PRCS also show medics walking through a tent, with one PRCS staff member carrying a child.
The Gaza government media office and the Palestinian Emergency Committee in Rafah have condemned the attack, saying the area had been designated a “safe zone” for civilians.
1 hr 19 min ago
At least 35 killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah camp, Gaza health ministry says
From CNN’s Sarah El Sirgany and Hamdi Alkhshali
The death toll from Israel’s strike in Rafah on Sunday is now at least 35, with dozens more injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The ministry said those killed and injured are mostly women and children.
CNN cannot independently verify death tolls provided by the ministry due to the lack of international media access in the war zone.
“There is no hospital in Rafah with enough capacity to take this number of killed and injured, causing confusion among ambulance teams on where to transfer them,” the ministry in a previous statement.
Gaza officials and the Palestine Red Crescent society have said the area that was hit is a camp for displaced people. The Israeli military claims it targeted a Hamas compound in Rafah. It said it was aware of reports of civilian harm, and that the incident is under review.
Videos shared on social media show a large fire at the site, with paramedics and firefighters struggling to manage the aftermath. The area targeted included a large container used as a shelter for dozens of families, surrounded by hundreds of tents. xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb xcb
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