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‘All eyes on Rafah’: 45 civilians killed in Israeli strike, triggers global outrage | Top updates
An Israeli air strike on southern Gaza city of Rafah ended up killing 45 civilians, including children, sparking a global outrage.
As many as 45 people, including children, were reportedly killed at a refugee camp in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip in Israel's airstrike. The incident triggered a global outrage, with celebrities from across the world condemning Israel's action, as tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East.
Most of the people killed in the Israeli airstrike were staying in tents at a refugee camp. The same area was hit by Israeli shelling days ago, triggering a massive fire in the shelter. The tent camp inferno has drawn widespread international outrage, including from some of Israel’s closest allies, over the military’s expanding offensive into Rafah.
Israel's series of attacks against Rafah was launched on Sunday, hours after Hamas launched multiple rockets into Tel Aviv, most of which were intercepted by the country's intricate defence systems.
Israel's airstrike in Rafah: Top updates
Israel military's airstrikes and shelling near Rafah claimed 45 civilian lives, Gaza's government officials confirmed on Tuesday. The airstrikes were launched on Sunday, leaving hundreds of refugees with shrapnel and burn wounds.
The attack by Israel came days after the International Court of Justice ordered the country to halt its operation in Rafah, drawing global outrage and condemnation from its close allies.
Israel, in its statement, called the loss of civilian life “a tragic accident”, and said that the massive fire in the refugee camp was not caused by the airstrikes alone.
The Israeli military suggested Sunday's blaze in the tent camp may have been caused by secondary explosions, possibly from Palestinian militants' weapons. They said that Israeli munitions were “too small a source” to cause the fire.
Soon after the airstrikes, millions of social media users including celebrities, sportspersons, actors and politicians, posted an image captioned ‘All eyes on Rafah’. The image showed shelter tents in Rafah, where are many as 1.4 million civilians are seeking refuge.
The strikes over the past few days have hit areas west of Rafah, where the military had not ordered civilians to evacuate. Israeli ground troops and tanks have been operating in eastern Rafah, in central parts of the city, and along the Gaza-Egypt border.
As per the health ministry of Gaza, only one medical facility in Rafah is operational due to the constant attacks and shelling by Israeli forces. They also said that all the main aid routes into the territory have been cut off.
(With inputs from AP)
