The Hamas-run health authority in Gaza said on Monday that 45 people were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike that hit tents housing displaced people near the southern city of Rafah.
Most of the victims of the airstrike were women and children, the health authority said, describing the incident as a “massacre.”
The information could not initially be independently verified, but the Palestinian Red Crescent previously said on social media platform X that there were “numerous” people killed and injured in the shelling northwest of Rafah.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, that Israel was investigating “an incident.”
“In Rafah, we evacuated about a million civilians,” Netanyahu said on Monday.
“Tragically, despite our immense efforts to avoid harming non-combatants, an incident occurred yesterday. We are investigating it thoroughly and will learn from it, as is our long-standing policy and conduct.”
“For us, any injury to a non-combatant is a tragedy, for Hamas it is a strategy,” Netanyahu said. “That’s the main difference.”
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said via X that two senior officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas were killed in the airstrike.
“The attack was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, through the use of precise munitions and based on accurate intelligence indicating Hamas’ use of the area,” the IDF said in a statement.
“The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the attack and the fire unleashed, several civilians in the area were injured. The incident is under review,” the statement added.
The attack came just days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ordered Israel to halt the attack on Rafah.
The incident provoked international horror and outrage.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday following a request from Algeria backed by Slovenia, diplomats said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the airstrikes “which killed dozens of innocent civilians who were just seeking shelter in this deadly conflict,” he wrote in X.
“There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must end.”
Meanwhile, an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian troops near the border with the Gaza Strip also caused fresh concerns that the war could escalate.
An Egyptian soldier was killed, an Egyptian military spokesman confirmed on Monday.
It is the first publicly known fatality in the Egyptian military ranks since the war in Gaza began almost eight months ago. The Israeli army confirmed an exchange of fire and said the incident was being investigated.
The situation at the Rafah border crossing has become increasingly tense. Israeli troops recently took control of the crossing on the Palestinian side, as well as a border strip between Egypt and Gaza.
Humanitarian organizations report dozens of deaths in Israeli attack
The Palestinian Red Crescent said the airstrike hit a humanitarian zone designated for those forced to evacuate Rafah due to Israeli fighting.
Humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that a medical facility it supports in the area treated dozens of injured people, while more than 15 dead people were taken to its trauma stabilization point.
“We are horrified by this deadly event, which shows once again that nowhere is safe. We continue to call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza,” said MSF on X.
Arab countries react angrily
Several Arab countries on Monday condemned the Israeli airstrike.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the “deliberate bombing of the tents of displaced people in the Palestinian city of Rafah” was a “new and flagrant violation of the provisions of international law.”
Qatar also condemned the attack as a “serious violation of international laws that will worsen the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip.”
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern that the latest attack would complicate ongoing mediation efforts and obstruct a permanent ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas confirmed to DPA that it was suspending ceasefire negotiations, which were due to restart this week.
In separate statements, Jordan and Kuwait condemned the “war crimes” committed by Israel in Gaza and called on the international community to force Israel to adhere to the ICJ ruling on Rafah.
Germany calls strike ‘The error’
German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said the airstrike was presumably “a mistake” and again defended Israel’s “right to defend itself within the framework of international law.”
Asked about allegations of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, Hebestreit said the German government would suspend the trial.
“The conclusion as to whether this is a war crime in terms of international law is something that should be left to lawyers who know the exact facts,” Hebestreit said in Berlin.
If there is evidence of such a crime, the German government would certainly convict him, Hebestreit said.
World leaders condemn Israel air strike in Rafah
French President Emmanuel Macron was among leaders calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and full compliance with international law.
“These operations must stop,” wrote an “outraged” Macron on X. “There are no safe zones for Palestinian civilians in Rafah.”
The “devastating images” that followed the attack were “heartbreaking,” a US State Department spokesperson said.
“We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened and we understand that the IDF is conducting an investigation.”
“We are horrified by the attacks that killed Palestinian civilians in Rafah,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly wrote in X.
“Israel’s attacks have had horrific and unacceptable consequences,” wrote Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
The war in Gaza was triggered by the massacre of more than 1,200 people by terrorists from Hamas and other militant groups on October 7.
Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. International criticism of Israel has increased as the death toll among Palestinians has risen. Currently, more than 35,000 people have been killed, according to Hamas authorities in Gaza.
