Despite the devastating air raid on Rafah, in which 45 people were killed, Israeli troops continued to advance into the city – according to eyewitnesses, also with tanks. Apparently, a tent camp for refugees was again shelled.
According to the Gaza Strip’s health authority, at least seven people were killed in renewed Israeli attacks on a tent camp for war refugees on the western outskirts of Rafah. Dozens of Palestinians were injured. The attacks targeted tents of displaced families in an area designated as a humanitarian zone in Mawasi near Rafah, medics and residents report.
Israeli tanks in the city center of Rafah
According to eyewitness reports from Rafah, Israeli ground troops have advanced deeper into the city in the south of the Gaza Strip. Troops were also spotted in the city center. The Israeli news website ynet reported, citing sources in Rafah, that Israeli tanks were deployed in the Tal al-Sultan district. There had not been any ground troops there so far. The AFP news agency also reported this, citing eyewitnesses. There was initially no confirmation of these reports from the Israeli army.
Burning tents in Rafah: Deaths after Israeli airstrike on displaced persons camp
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The situation is very dangerous, 30-year-old Faten Juda told the AFP news agency. “We didn’t sleep all night. There were indiscriminate bombings from all directions.” Her family fears for their lives and will flee again, she added.
“Hamas lies and disinformation”?
According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, at least 45 people were killed and dozens injured, including women and minors, in an Israeli air strike in Tal al-Sultan on Sunday evening. The deadly incident sparked international horror and outrage.
The organization Doctors Without Borders announced that a camp for displaced persons in a zone declared safe had been hit. The Israeli army dismissed this as “lies and disinformation from Hamas.” The attack, which targeted two high-ranking Hamas members, was not aimed at a humanitarian zone. However, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in parliament of a “tragic” incident from which lessons would be learned.
Israeli troops penetrate deeper into Rafah
According to information from the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, around one million people have fled Rafah within three weeks. “This happened amid bombings, food and water shortages, mountains of garbage and inadequate living conditions, as there was no safe refuge. Day by day it is becoming more difficult to provide help and protection,” wrote UNRWA on X. It is almost impossible to help.
The International Court of Justice recently ordered Israel to end its operation in Rafah immediately. No living conditions should be created “that could lead to the total or partial destruction of the Palestinian population in Gaza,” the ruling said. However, the World Court did not order a ceasefire for Gaza. Its decisions are binding. However, the UN judges have no means of forcing a state to implement them.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
