Fresh Israeli strikes killed 16 people in Rafah on Tuesday, rescuers said, as an incursion into the southern Gaza city that once had more than a million Palestinians expanded.
The latest attacks took place northwest of Rafah, according to the Associated Press, citing the Palestinian Red Crescent and Palestinian Civil Defense. The attacks, which took place overnight in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, were conducted in the same area as the deadly Israeli attack over the weekend, which killed at least 45 Palestinians, sparking international outrage.
Sunday’s attack targeted a humanitarian zone, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged on Monday that the attack on civilians was a “tragic mistake” and called for an investigation.
Tuesday’s attack, which took place in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, presents a new escalation in Rafah, an area that was once considered one of the last remaining places for Palestinians who fled the military operation to take shelter.
Since the start of Israel’s steady incursion into Rafah, once seen as a place of refuge for displaced Palestinians, around 1 million civilians have fled the southern city, according to the main humanitarian agency providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza. , known as UNRWA. Those who fled the city are scattered in tents.
The US and other allies of Israel have warned Tel Aviv against carrying out an all-out raid on Rafah, with President Biden warning he would suspend offensive arms transfers.
Israel has argued that the operation must continue to eradicate the militant group Hamas and return the remaining hostages that were taken on October 7, when more than 1,100 Israelis in the south of the country were killed in a Hamas-led attack.
After the war began, Israel launched an offensive in Gaza that has so far killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, a total count that does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The latest move also comes after the UN-backed International Court of Justice ruled on Friday that Israel must immediately halt its military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
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