A family has described their harrowing escape after the building where they were sheltering appeared to be impacted.
“All of a sudden, the windows broke,” Hala Siam told the NBC News team at the scene. “The children were scared. We all went out into the street.”
“They said it’s safe,” Siam said of the area where she and her family were sheltering. “There is no safe place in Rafah.”
The IDF said its attack targeted two Hamas leaders who claimed to be responsible for organizing terrorist attacks in the occupied West Bank area. He said he was aware of reports that civilian tents were set on fire during the attack and that the incident was “under review”.
In a subsequent statement, the IDF said the airstrike was based on “previous intelligence information regarding the presence of key Hamas terrorists at the location.” It stated that prior to the attack “a range of measures were taken to reduce the risk of harm to uninvolved civilians” and that “it was assessed that there would be no expected harm to uninvolved civilians”.
It stated that an investigation was underway into “the circumstances of the civilian deaths in the area of the attack. The IDF regrets any harm to civilians not involved during the fighting.”
In a statement, Hamas described the attack as a horrific “massacre.” It did not confirm the death of the commander or senior leader.
Earlier Sunday, Hamas’ military wing announced a missile barrage against Israel targeting Tel Aviv, the first in many weeks. The IDF said eight projectiles were identified crossing the Rafah area into Israeli territory and that several were intercepted.
As outrage grew over Sunday’s attack in Rafah, mediators Qatar and Egypt condemned the attack as a violation of international law. Qatar, a key intermediary in negotiations with Hamas, warned it could jeopardize efforts for a new hostage deal.
Following weekend talks involving CIA Director William Burns in Paris, an Israeli official told NBC News that the Israeli government was hopeful that talks could resume this week.
But French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “outraged by the Israeli attacks that killed many displaced people in Rafah”, adding that “these operations must stop”. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also condemned the strike and said he was “horrified”.
A spokesperson for the US National Security Council said after Sunday’s attack: “We are aware of the reports and gathering more information.”
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