The United Nations Security Council has convened an emergency session scheduled for Tuesday following a devastating Israeli airstrike on a displaced persons camp in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, newswire AFP reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the attack on Monday as a “tragic mistake.” The incident occurred in Rafah, southern Gaza, triggering a fire at a camp where displaced Palestinians had sought shelter. Local officials, as reported by the Associated Press, said that the attack resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people.
“Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night there was a tragic mistake,” Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israel’s parliament. “We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy.”
The strike has intensified international criticism against Israel for its conflict with Hamas, with even its closest allies expressing outrage over civilian casualties.
Rafah, situated at the southernmost border of Gaza adjacent to Egypt, was home to over a million people, roughly half of Gaza’s population, who had been displaced from various regions within the territory. However, with Israel initiating what it termed as a limited incursion in the area earlier this month, the majority have fled once more.
Sunday night’s attack seemingly one of the most lethal of the conflict, contributed to raising the total Palestinian death toll in the war to over 36,000, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people and seized some 250 hostages. Hamas still holds about 100 hostages and the remains of around 30 others after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year, AP reported.
Around 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have fled their homes. Severe hunger is widespread, and UN officials say parts of the territory are experiencing famine.
