An Israeli airstrike on a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah killed dozens of people on Sunday, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to call the attack a “tragic mistake.” The Israeli military said it’s investigating the incident in the southern Gaza city.
This comes as global leaders urged Israel to adhere to Friday’s ruling by the International Court of Justice, ordering it to halt its military operations in Rafah.
Here’s what else to know:
Death toll: At least 45 people were killed and over 200 wounded in the strike, according to the Gaza ministry of health. Most of them were women and children, according to the Palestinian authorities. Footage obtained by CNN showed the camp in flames, with scores of men, women and children frantically trying to find cover from the nighttime assault. Burned bodies, including those of children, could be seen being pulled by rescuers from the wreckage.
US response: A National Security Council spokesperson said Monday that the strike was “heartbreaking,” adding that the United States was “actively engaging” with officials in Israel to determine what precisely happened.
International reaction: UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the strike, saying “This horror must stop.” Other international figures who weighed in included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Another strike: An Israeli airstrike on a home in the Al-Zarqa neighborhood of northern Gaza on Monday killed at least five people, including a 4-year-old girl, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza. CNN video in the aftermath shows rescue workers sifting through what remained of the building, searching for survivors in near-complete darkness.
Hospital in Rafah closes: The Kuwaiti Hospital in central Rafah was forced to close on Monday after the Israeli military attacks increased around the hospital. Recent, “repeated and deliberate” attacks by Israeli forces had led to the death of two staff working in the hospital, as well as the injury of five medical staff, according to Dr. Suhaib Al-Hims, director of the Kuwaiti hospital. The remaining medical teams were being transferred to a field hospital that is being prepared in the Al-Mawasi area of Gaza, Al-Hims said.
Egypt-Israel tensions: The Israeli attack on the border corridor creates an “uncontrollable situation, in the field and psychologically, that can lead to an escalation,” Egyptian state-affiliated Al-Qahera News reported Monday, citing an Egyptian security source. An Egyptian military spokesperson said a person was killed during a shooting incident. Israel’s military also acknowledged that a shooting occurred.
