Israeli forces launched a devastating attack on tent camps for displaced Palestinians in Gaza, killing at least 25 people and injuring 50 others. The strike occurred in the coastal area of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry and emergency workers, the attack resulted in a significant loss of life and injuries. Ahmed Radwan, a spokesperson for the Civil Defense first responders in Rafah, reported that witnesses informed rescue personnel about the shelling at two locations in the densely populated coastal area.
The attacks took place just beyond an area that Israel had designated as safe, and the Israeli military is investigating the strikes at the reported coordinates. This is not the first time Israel has targeted areas close to the “humanitarian zone” in Muwasi, a rural Mediterranean town that has seen a surge in tent camps.
The ongoing military campaign in Rafah has led to dire humanitarian conditions, with over a million Palestinians seeking refuge in tents and cramped apartments without adequate food, water, or medical supplies. The United Nations has warned that there is no safe place in Gaza, and the situation remains precarious.
Israel claims to be targeting Hamas fighters and infrastructure while attempting to minimize civilian casualties. However, the high number of civilian deaths is attributed to militants operating among the population. The international community has been increasingly critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, with the top UN court concluding that there is a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza, a charge Israel strongly denies.
The conflict has taken a heavy toll, with over 37,100 casualties in Gaza, according to the local Health Ministry. The violence escalated following the October 7 attack by Hamas, which killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted about 250 more. Israel launched the war in response to this attack.
The Palestinian death toll from relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since last October has exceeded 37,400, with over 85,600 people injured, according to the Health Ministry. The situation remains volatile, with vast tracts of Gaza in ruins and a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.