Rafah, Gaza Strip – Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah have resulted in the deaths of at least 35 Palestinians and left dozens wounded, according to Palestinian health and civil emergency service officials. The targeted area, designated for the displaced, witnessed severe devastation, igniting a fresh wave of international concern over the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli military asserted that the air force struck a Hamas compound in Rafah with “precise ammunition and on the basis of precise intelligence.” The military claimed the strike eliminated Hamas’ chief of staff for the West Bank and another senior official responsible for deadly attacks on Israelis. An IDF spokesperson acknowledged civilian casualties due to the strike and fire, noting that the incident is under review.
Ashraf Al-Qidra, a spokesman for the Gaza health ministry, reported that 35 people were killed and dozens more, primarily women and children, were injured in the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood, where thousands had sought refuge from the eastern parts of Rafah amid the Israeli ground offensive.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that its field hospital in Rafah was overwhelmed with casualties, with other local hospitals also admitting a high number of patients.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri condemned the attack as a “massacre,” blaming the United States for providing Israel with military support. Residents described horrific scenes, with tents and bodies burned by the strikes. “The air strikes burnt the tents, the tents are melting and the people’s bodies are also melting,” recounted a resident at the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military reported that eight projectiles were launched from Rafah, with some intercepted by defense systems. There were no casualties reported from these projectiles.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet to discuss the ongoing operations in Rafah. Israel maintains that the UN court ruling, which ordered a halt to the attacks on Rafah, permits certain military actions in the city. In response to the attacks, the Hamas al-Qassam Brigades claimed the rockets were retaliation for “Zionist massacres against civilians.”
Israel’s objective in Rafah is to eradicate Hamas fighters allegedly hiding in the area and to rescue hostages, but the assault has exacerbated the civilian crisis, drawing widespread condemnation. On Sunday, additional Israeli strikes in Rafah killed at least five Palestinians, all identified as civilians by Gaza medical services.
Israeli tanks have edged into the outskirts of Rafah, close to the Egypt-Gaza border crossing, but a full-scale ground incursion has not yet occurred. Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz justified the operations, citing ongoing rocket fire from Rafah.
In northern Gaza, fighting continued in Jabaliya, another hotspot in the conflict. An Israeli airstrike reportedly killed 10 people in a neighborhood near Jabaliya, according to Hamas media.
Truce Negotiations and Humanitarian Efforts
Efforts to establish a ceasefire and secure the release of over 120 hostages have been stalled. Recent meetings between Israeli and US intelligence officials and Qatar’s prime minister hinted at potential progress. An official indicated plans to resume talks based on new proposals from Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with US involvement. However, Hamas officials downplayed these reports, reiterating demands for a complete cessation of Israeli aggression across all of Gaza.
Meanwhile, international calls for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza have grown louder. Following a seven-month offensive that has caused extensive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis, an agreement facilitated by US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi allowed 200 trucks of aid, including fuel, to enter Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing. This crossing has been the main commercial conduit between Israel, Egypt, and Gaza since the Rafah crossing was blocked by Israeli forces nearly three weeks ago.
As the conflict intensifies, the plight of civilians in Gaza remains dire, with urgent calls for a resolution to the ongoing violence and humanitarian catastrophe.