Reuters TV/Reuters
World
May 26, 2024 Israel-Hamas war
7:29 p.m. ET, May 26, 2024
At least 30 killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah camp for displaced people, Gaza officials say
Reuters TV/Reuters
At least 30 people were killed by Israeli strikes on a camp for displaced people in the southernmost city of Rafah on Sunday, the Gaza government media office said.
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.
“The Israeli occupation army had designated these areas as safe zones, calling on citizens and displaced persons to head to these safe areas,” the government office said, adding that when displaced people sought refuge, they came under attack.
That echoed criticism from the Palestinian Emergency Committee in Rafah, which said the Israel Defense Forces had claimed the area struck was a “safe zone.”
What the IDF has said: The Israeli military claimed in a statement that it struck “a compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating,” and said it is aware of reports of civilian harm following the strike and fire.
It said one of its aircraft used “precise munitions” to strike the target based on “intelligence that indicated Hamas’ use of the area.”
It said the strikes, including the harm to civilians, are now under review.
Hamas response: Hamas issued a statement holding the US administration and President Joe Biden personally accountable for the attack.
It said Israel would not have carried out the strikes “without American support and the green light for it to invade Rafah, despite its overcrowding with displaced citizens.”