After the deadly attack on Rafah at the weekend, Israel’s army is continuing its operations. There were reportedly many deaths in the city in the south of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
According to Palestinian sources, dozens of people were killed again on Tuesday in Israeli attacks in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, 18 people were killed in attacks during the night alone.
Medical professionals in the Palestinian coastal region also reported at least 20 deaths in an incident in the west of the city. According to them, tents belonging to displaced people were the target. According to the Hamas-controlled civil defense, at least four grenades were fired at the affected area. None of these figures can yet be independently verified.
At a joint press conference in Meseberg, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) called for Israel to stop the attacks in Rafah and to respect international law in its actions. Scholz called the shelling of a refugee camp that left many dead a “tragic incident”. “This case shows once again why Germany, like many other countries, has repeatedly spoken out against a large-scale ground offensive in Rafah – because there cannot be sufficient protection for civilians there,” said Scholz. He again called for the release of the hostages still held by Hamas – but also for sufficient humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza by land.
Israel’s army announced on Tuesday evening that, contrary to reports, it had not attacked the designated humanitarian zone of Al-Mawasi. A number of internally displaced people have sought protection there on the instructions of the Israeli army.
The military had previously announced that Israeli troops were still deployed in the Rafah area and were reportedly making efforts to prevent harm to innocent bystanders.
Camp for displaced persons hit in “safe zone”? – Israel denies
Most recently, an Israeli air strike in Rafah on Sunday evening sparked international horror. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, at least 45 people were killed and dozens injured, including women and minors.
The organization Doctors Without Borders said the attack on Sunday evening hit a camp for displaced people in a zone declared safe. The Israeli army dismissed this as “lies and disinformation from Hamas.” The attack, which targeted two high-ranking Hamas members, did not target a humanitarian zone. “The incident occurred in Tal al-Sultan in an area more than a kilometer from the humanitarian, safe zone,” a military spokesman said on Tuesday. The army filmed the area before the attack to ensure that there were no civilians nearby.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in parliament of a “tragic” incident from which lessons will be learned. At the same time, however, according to his office, he stressed: “I will not give in or surrender. I will not end the war until we have achieved all of our goals.”
The military said on Tuesday that the extent of the deadly airstrike was due to a fire that broke out in a nearby facility. The army is also investigating whether weapons were stored there that exploded and caught fire during the attack. A Hamas facility was attacked.
Emergency meeting of the UN Security Council
A spokesman for the US State Department described the images from the tent camp for displaced people in the southern Gaza Strip as “heartbreaking”. They said they were working with the Israeli army and partners on the ground to clarify the circumstances of the air strike.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet in New York this evening for an emergency session. Diplomats from the United Nations’ most powerful body reported that the meeting is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CEST today.
On Friday, the International Court of Justice 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.
