On Friday, Israeli forces bombarded tent settlements housing displaced Palestinians, positioned to the north of Rafah, leading to a minimum of 25 fatalities and leaving around 50 individuals injured, according the Gaza Health Ministry and emergency personnel. This incident adds to the numerous attacks experienced in the petite Palestinian territory as the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalates, leading to mass displacement.
According to Ahmed Radwan, a representative for the Civil Defence first responders in Rafah, eyewitnesses reported to the rescue team about the shelling that hit two spots in a coastal region that’s currently overpopulated with tents. The number of casualties and injured individuals resulting from the attack was disclosed by the Gaza Health Ministry.
The Civil Defence highlighted that the areas struck were slightly beyond a safe zone designated by Israel. The Israeli military stated they were investigating the strikes at the reported locations.
In the past, Israel has targeted areas close to the “humanitarian zone” in Mawasi. This is a rural area along the Mediterranean coast which has rapidly filled with extensive tent settlements in recent months. Eye-witnesses who lost family members during one of the strikes near a Red Cross field hospital reported a second round of fire by Israeli forces which caused more deaths among people who had vacated their tents.
This onslaught started with an explosive that only produced a loud noise and bright spark, said Mona Ashour, who lost her spouse after he went to inspect the situation. Later, a second explosive was dropped a bit closer to the entrance of the Red Cross, she added.
Hasan al-Najjar lost his sons who were killed while assisting those in distress after the first strike. His sons had rushed to the scene after hearing the cries and screams of women and children, he shared. They were killed when the second round was fired consequently.
Friday’s bombings occurred less than four weeks after a separate Israeli bombardment initiated a lethal fire which ravaged a camp for internally displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza. The military’s expanding offence into Rafah has drawn global condemnation, including from some of Israel’s primary allies.
Israel maintains that its targeting is directed at Hamas combatants and their facilities, claiming it makes every effort to keep civilian fatalities to a minimum. It crucially points to the high count of civilian deaths as a result of militants functioning within the populace.
Continuing its military operation in Rafah, Israel faces over a million Palestinians who previously sought solace from the conflict in other parts of Gaza. However, most have since left Rafah, due to the United Nations statement that Gaza offers no safe zones. The humanitarian situation is described as desperate, with families living in overcrowded flats and tents without sufficient food, water or essential medical provisions.
The death toll rose as a minimum of 10 Palestinians were killed due to Israeli shootings in various other parts of the Gaza Strip last Friday. Emergency Defence squads found five bodies of victims killed in an air raid that targeted two residential flats in the northern area of Gaza City, leaving several others injured. Prior to this, another air strike landed on a public garage in the city, killing five people.
Fadel Naeem, head of orthopaedics at the al-Ahli hospital, reported that 30 corpses were delivered on Friday, describing it as “a challenging and harsh day in Gaza City”.
As Israel’s war with Hamas enters its ninth month, global condemnation is rising due to Israel’s deliberate decimation tactics in Gaza which is costing numerous civilian lives. The leading United Nations court has inferred a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza, a claim which is fervently denied by Israel.
The Ministry of Health in the region reports that over 37,400 people in Gaza have lost their lives due to Israel’s ground aggressions and bombings, not distinguishing between civilian and combatant deaths in their tally.
The war was initiated by Israel in response to an October 7th offensive by Hamas, where militants invaded southern Israel, resulting in the death of approximately 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 people. – AP