Israel faced fresh criticism over strikes in the southern city of Rafah the Gaza Strip, in which local health officials say at least 45 Palestinians have died, including displaced people from other parts of the enclave living in tents that were engulfed in fire, the Associated Press reported, cited by BTA.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was a “tragic mistake” and that Israel is investigating.
Tel Aviv has faced growing international criticism over its war against Hamas, with even some of its closest allies, notably the US, expressing outrage at the civilian deaths. Israel insists it adheres to international law despite facing the world's highest courts, one of which last week asked it to halt the Rafah offensive.
Israel says it is investigating civilian deaths after it struck a “Hamas“ and killed two high-ranking fighters. Last night's attack, one of the deadliest of the war, pushed the total number of Palestinians killed in the war to more than 36,000, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, the Associated Press noted. pres.
In a speech to the Israeli parliament today, Netanyahu said that “despite our best efforts to prevent innocent civilian casualties, a tragic mistake was made last night. We are investigating the incident and will get a conclusion because that is our policy”.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that half of those killed in the strike were women, children and the elderly.
France, a close European ally of Israel, said it was “outraged” from the violence.
„These operations must stop. There are no safe zones in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and for an immediate ceasefire", President Emmanuel Macron wrote on the social network "X".
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto indicated that bombings like the one in Rafah would have long-lasting consequences for Israel.
„With this choice, Israel is causing self-hatred that will affect its children and grandchildren. I would prefer another solution?'' he told the Italian news channel 'Sky TG'.
Qatar, which is a key intermediary between Israel and “Hamas” in efforts to end the fire and free the hostages held by the Palestinian group, said the strikes would “make it difficult” the negotiations.
Neighboring countries Egypt and Jordan, which signed peace treaties with Israel decades ago, also condemned the attacks in Rafah.