At least 35 people killed in Israeli strikes in Rafah

At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Sunday, as reported by CNN citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. The ministry noted that the majority of those killed and injured are women and children.

In an earlier statement, the ministry said, “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.” Gaza officials and the Palestine Red Crescent Society confirmed that the targeted area was a camp for displaced people. Videos posted on social media depicted a large fire at the scene, with paramedics and firefighters working to manage the aftermath. The area included a large container used as a shelter for dozens of families, surrounded by hundreds of tents.

Gaza’s government office stated, “The Israeli occupation army had designated these areas as safe zones, calling on citizens and displaced persons to head to these safe areas,” adding that when displaced people sought refuge, they came under attack.

Earlier, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike, stating it targeted a “Hamas compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating a short while ago.” The IDF acknowledged reports of civilian casualties and noted that the incident is under review. In a post on X, IDF stated, “An IDF aircraft struck a Hamas compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating a short while ago. The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, through the use of precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas’ use of the area.”

According to the IDF, the airstrike eliminated Hamas Chief of Staff in Judea and Samaria, Yassin Rabia, and senior Hamas official Khaled Nagar. The IDF noted that Rabia managed Hamas’ terrorist activity in Judea and Samaria and planned multiple attacks, while Nagar directed shooting attacks and other activities, and carried out several deadly attacks against IDF soldiers.

The airstrike occurred after sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and parts of central Israel following rockets fired from Gaza. This marked the first rocket fire on Tel Aviv since January. The IDF reported that eight rockets were fired from the Rafah area of southern Gaza into Israel, with a “number of projectiles” intercepted. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it targeted Tel Aviv with a “large missile barrage” in response to Israel’s “massacres against civilians.”

Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant met with military officials in Rafah on Sunday for an update on the troops’ operation in Gaza. He commended the IDF troops for their dedication and sacrifices since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, and emphasized ongoing efforts to dismantle Hamas and return hostages held in Gaza.

The Israeli airstrikes in Rafah come days after the United Nations’ top court ordered Israel to halt its operations in Rafah and withdraw from Gaza, following accusations of genocide by South Africa. Judge Nawaf Salam, president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), stated, “Israel must immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah Governorate which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” While these orders are legally binding, the court has no enforcement power.