In the midst of international outrage of an airstrike that killed numerous Palestinians in Rafah on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to carry on the war against Hamas.
The health ministry administered by Hamas reports that at least 45 people were murdered, while hundreds more received treatment for shrapnel wounds, fractures, and serious burns.
Although calling the strike a “tragic mishap,” Mr. Netanyahu also stated that he didn’t plan to finish the war before all of its objectives had been met.
He emphasized that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were making “best efforts not to harm those uninvolved” in the war and stressed the need for Israel to take “every precaution possible” to safeguard civilians.
Algeria has requested that the UN Security Council convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Rafah strike.
UN Secretary General António Guterres claimed that the strike had “killed scores of innocent civilians who were only seeking shelter from this deadly conflict” in a statement released on Monday.
“There’s nowhere in Gaza that’s safe. This evil has to end “said the man.
During his speech in the Israeli parliament, Mr. Netanyahu was occasionally heckled by relatives of hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7. Some of these relatives have been critical of him for not achieving a settlement for their loved ones’ return.
“In Rafah we already evacuated about one million non-combatant residents and despite our utmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something unfortunately went tragically wrong,” he continued.
“We are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions because this is our policy.”
Organizations from around the world have denounced the strike, and the EU is pressing Israel to abide by an International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision from last week ordering an end to strikes on Rafah. Josep Borrell, the chief ambassador for the group, described Sunday’s strike as “horrifying”.
Israel has vowed to carry out the assault of Rafah in spite of the ICJ verdict, with authorities stating that the ruling allowed the attack to conform with international law.
According to Volker Turk, the UN’s chief human rights officer, the attack implied that there had been “no apparent change in the methods and means of warfare used by Israel that have already led to so many civilian deaths”.
Hours after Hamas launched its first rocket attack on Tel Aviv in several months, Israel launched the Rafah attack on Sunday.
Two senior Hamas officers were killed in the raid on Rafah, according to IDF officials, and the organization was looking into the killings of local people.
However, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that the airstrike had struck displaced people’s tents close to a UN building in Tal al-Sultan, which is roughly 2 km (1.2 miles) northwest of Rafah’s center.
Videos captured the scene on Sunday night in the Tal al-Sultan area, where there was a big explosion and strong fires.
In graphic footage, first responders and onlookers were seen dragging many dead as a number of structures were set on fire next to a banner that said “Kuwaiti Peace Camp ‘1’.”
Following the strike, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Monday that at least 28 dead persons, including women and children, had been admitted to one of its hospitals.
It claimed to have treated 180 more wounded Palestinians, the majority of whom had burns, fractures, traumatic injuries, and serious shrapnel wounds.
The “attack on a populated camp in a so-called’safe zone’ in Rafah shows the complete disregard for the lives of civilians in Gaza,” according to MSF, which contradicted Israeli allegations that the hit had been precise.
The US insisted that Israel has the right to self-defense despite calling the photos “heartbreaking”.
A White House national security official stated, “We understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians. Israel has a right to go after Hamas.”
However, they did acknowledge that “Israel needs to take all necessary precautions to protect civilians.”
Much of Monday was devoted to Israeli authorities frantically trying to figure out what went wrong in Rafah. Israel is being forced to provide an explanation for how a “precision strike” with “reduced warheads” and specialized bombs caused an inferno that left dozens dead and several others injured.
Leading military figures have pledged to conduct a comprehensive investigation, and a more extensive explanation is anticipated. One such person is Maj Gen Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, the advocate general of the IDF.
It is another question entirely whether or not this occurrence represents a turning point in the campaign.
There is little indication that Sunday’s catastrophe would alter Mr. Netanyahu’s commitment to what he terms a “total victory” in Rafah.
After terrorists from Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing over 1,200 people and capturing 252 more as prisoners, Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza.
Since then, the war has claimed the lives of over 36,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas.