Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the bomb attack in Tal al-Sultan, just north of Rafah city and Rafah Camp, that killed hundreds of displaced Palestinians in Rafah as a “tragic mishap.” The explosion has been met with increasing worldwide outrage.
Live footage from Sunday night’s incident revealed a massive explosion and raging flames.
The health ministry, which Hamas governs, reported that at least 45 people were killed. Injuries from shrapnel, severe burns, and fractures affected hundreds more.
Mr. Netanyahu emphasized the critical need for Israel to take every precaution possible to save people entangled in the conflict in Gaza when addressing the Israeli Knesset.
While pledging to continue fighting against Hamas, he stressed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) made best efforts not to harm those uninvolved in the battle.
A number of members of the families have accused him of being ineffective in negotiating the safe release of their relatives. A number of international organizations have spoken out against the strike, with the European Union (EU) leading the charge in demanding that Israel comply with last week’s ICJ decision to cease airstrikes on Rafah.
Josep Borrell, the chief ambassador for the group, described the Israeli bombing as “horrifying.”
Officials from Israel have maintained that the invasion of Rafah may still be carried out in accordance with international law, even after the ICJ overturned the decision.
There has been no apparent change in the methods and means of warfare used by Israel that have already led to so many civilian deaths, according to Volker Turk, the UN’s human rights head, who also highlighted the attacks.
Israel attacked Rafah on Sunday, hours after Hamas fired its first rocket toward Tel Aviv in months.
According to Israeli sources, two top Hamas commanders were killed in the strike, and the IDF is currently examining the fatalities of civilians in the vicinity.
