On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah resulted in the deaths of at least 35 individuals and the destruction of tents for displaced individuals. Additionally, “numerous” individuals were confined to flaming debris. Palestinian health professionals reported this information. Hamas claimed that it launched a barrage of rockets from Gaza toward central Israel, and rocket sirens rang for the first time in months in cities such as Tel Aviv, hours before the reported airstrike.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that 35 individuals had been slain and dozens had been injured, with the majority of the victims being women and children. “The Ministry of Health confirms that a large number of mass killing tools have never been amassed and employed in front of the world as they are currently in Gaza,” the statement stated in response to the attack. The statement also noted the severe shortages of water, food, medicine, electricity, and fuel.
The source team in Gaza was informed by eyewitnesses that eight airstrikes struck tents in western Rafah; however, the allegations were unable to be independently verified. The casualties, which included civilians, were transported to Emirati Hospital, according to the eyewitnesses. The tents were situated in a compound that was approximately 200 meters (650 feet) from the largest United Nations warehouse in the Gaza Strip.
Sunday night, the Israel Defense Forces issued a statement acknowledging the strike.
“A Hamas compound in Rafah, where significant Hamas terrorists were operating, was struck by an IDF aircraft a brief time ago, according to the IDF. Using precise munitions and based on precise intelligence that indicated Hamas’ use of the area, the assault was conducted against legitimate targets in accordance with international law. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are cognizant of reports that the strike and subsequent fire incited significant injury to numerous civilians in the vicinity. t present, the incident is being examined.
According to a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the death toll in Rafah’s Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, located west of the city center, is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue. Video footage from the site revealed extensive destruction.
The society maintained that Israel had designated the location as a “humanitarian area.”
The assault occurs two days after the International Court of Justice directed Israel to cease its military offensive in Rafah.
According to his office, Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, was in Rafah on Sunday and was informed of the “deepening of operations” in the town.
The airstrike was reported hours after Hamas launched a barrage of rockets from Gaza, which was the first time in months that air raid sirens were activated as far away as Tel Aviv. This act of resilience occurred more than seven months into Israel’s massive air, sea, and ground offensive.
According to the Associated Press, the bombardment and rocket launches were audible in central Gaza, according to Hamas’ military wing.
The missiles were launched in response to what al-Qassam Brigades referred to as “Zionist massacres against civilians” in a statement posted on its Telegram channel on Sunday, according to Reuters.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, its air defenses intercepted numerous projectiles following the launch of eight missiles from Rafah in the Gaza Strip toward Israel.
The militants have fired projectiles at communities in the vicinity of Gaza during the conflict; however, they have not launched longer-range missiles in several months.
The Associated Press reported that the first long-range rocket attack from Gaza since January did not result in any immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The escalation occurred hours after aid vehicles entered Gaza from southern Israel as a result of a new agreement to bypass the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
d to reopen its portion of the Rafah crossing until Palestinians are granted authority of the Gaza side. o Palestinians. It consented to temporarily redirect traffic through Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing, Gaza’s primary cargo terminal, following a telephone conversation between Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and U.S. President Joe Biden.
icials have reported that the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which is currently in its eighth month, has resulted in the deaths of nearly 36,000 Palestinians. alth officials. Approximately 80% of the 2.3 million individuals in the population have evacuated their residences; severe hunger is prevalent, and U.N. officials have reported that certain regions of the territory are currently experiencing famine.
The conflict was initiated by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, during which its militants killed approximately 1,200 individuals, the majority of whom were civilians, and captured approximately 250 hostages.
ed on Saturday that U.S. diplomatic efforts to negotiate an agreement for the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas are anticipated to persist in the upcoming week. e coming week. The negotiations will involve representatives from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
