Israel’s recent airstrikes on the southern Gazan city of Rafah have triggered global condemnation after more than 45 individuals were killed in overnight attacks that targeted Palestinian relief camps.
The strikes led to chaotic and tragic scenes, as fires engulfed the tents, resulting in the deaths of several occupants and leaving many others with severe injuries. Witnesses described harrowing sights of charred bodies and burned limbs, with the cries of the victims echoing through the camp.
According to a resident speaking to news agency AFP, the situation on the ground remains dire: “People are currently inside their homes because anyone who moves is being shot at by Israeli drones.”
The Israeli military claimed that their strikes were aimed at two Hamas operatives within the compound, and the subsequent inferno was a result of “unforeseen circumstances.”
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Despite international concerns, the U.S. administration, under President Joe Biden, stated that Israel’s latest strikes did not breach America’s stipulated red lines, though Biden had previously cautioned Israel against launching a major military operation in Rafah.
Residents of Rafah, speaking to AFP, reported relentless bombardment throughout the night, with continuous air and artillery fire accompanied by advancing military vehicles to the west of the city.
This latest escalation comes in the wake of a brutal conflict that began after Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which claimed the lives of more than 1,170 people, predominantly civilians. In response, Israel’s intensive military offensive has resulted in at least 36,096 deaths in Gaza, further deepening the humanitarian crisis in the region.