Israeli Strike Kills Dozens in Gaza, Sparking Outrage
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel acknowledged Monday that a “tragic error” had been committed in an Israeli attack in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. The strike ignited a fire in a camp housing displaced Palestinians, resulting in the deaths of at least 45 people. The incident drew strong criticism from the international community, including Israel’s closest allies.
The Israeli military initially stated that it had conducted a precise airstrike on a Hamas compound, resulting in the deaths of two senior militants. However, as details of the strike and subsequent fire emerged, the military launched an investigation into the civilian deaths.
The strike in Rafah raised the total number of Palestinian fatalities in the conflict to over 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants. The attack occurred as Egypt warned that Israel’s incursion in Rafah could jeopardize their longstanding peace treaty.
The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency closed-door meeting for Tuesday afternoon to address the Rafah situation. Rafah, located on the Gaza-Egypt border, had been home to over one million people, roughly half of Gaza’s population, who had been displaced from other areas of the territory. The majority of them have been forced to flee once more since Israel launched what it termed a limited incursion earlier this month.
International Condemnation
The strike on Rafah sparked a new wave of condemnation, even from Israel’s most steadfast supporters. The US National Security Council stated in a statement that the “devastating images” from the Rafah strike were “heartbreaking.” It stated that the US was collaborating with the Israeli military and others to investigate the incident.
French President Emmanuel Macron was more direct, stating in a post on Twitter that “these operations must stop.” He emphasized the absence of safe areas for Palestinian civilians in Rafah and demanded absolute adherence to international law and an immediate ceasefire.
The German Foreign Office, a long-standing supporter of Israel, stated that “the photographs of charred bodies, including children, from the airstrike in Rafah are unbearable.” The ministry requested that the Israeli army’s announced investigation be expedited and emphasized the critical need to better protect the civilian population.
Legal Implications
Israel’s top legal authority on military matters, Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, stated that authorities were investigating the Rafah strike and expressed remorse for the loss of civilian lives. She also mentioned that Israel had opened 70 criminal investigations into probable violations of international law, including civilian deaths and the deaths of detainees in Israeli custody.
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes. The ICC only intervenes when it determines that the country in question is unable or unwilling to prosecute such crimes effectively.
