Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Monday’s attack on a refugee camp in the Tal al Sultan neighborhood, northwest of Rafah, as a “tragic mistake” and expressed his commitment to investigating the bombing, which left At least 45 people died.
The Israeli Army stated that it was a “precise operation based on intelligence” aimed at eliminating two senior Hamas commanders, although a fire subsequently broke out that caused a high number of fatalities, reported the Efe news agency.
The military attorney general, Major General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, ordered investigations into the bombing to be opened by the General Staff Investigation and Evaluation Mechanism, a semi-independent entity made up of former military personnel.
“Prior to the attack, a number of measures were taken to reduce the risk of harm to uninvolved civilians, including aerial surveillance, the deployment of precise munitions and additional intelligence. Based on these measures, it was assessed that no harm to civilians was expected,” the Army stated in relation to the incident.
The Knesset convened an extraordinary session at the request of 40 deputies, where Netanyahu promised to attend and discuss the circumstances of the attack in Rafah. Relatives of hostages were also present, urging an immediate agreement for the release of the captives and expressing concern about how attacks like the one in Rafah could complicate negotiations.
The Israeli prime minister informed the families that since December he had received five requests from the negotiating team to extend his mandate and that he had approved all of them. He also announced that negotiations were expected to resume in Cairo this Tuesday, although the Hamas leadership said there will be no agreement as long as Israel does not agree to end the war.
Netanyahu attributed the lack of progress in the negotiations to Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, whom he described as “the only obstacle.”
After the tragic attack in Rafah, the US National Security Council urged Israel to take “all possible precautions to protect civilians.”
A spokesperson in statements to the Efe news agency mentioned that Israel has the right to persecute Hamas and that they understand that the attack killed two high-ranking terrorists, however, he stressed that the Jewish State must act with caution so as not to endanger risk the lives of civilians.
From the United States National Security Council, they described the images after the Israeli bombing as “devastating” and “heartbreaking.”
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, under Hamas control, the total death toll in Gaza has reached 36,050, with 45 deaths recorded in the attack on the aforementioned Rafah displaced persons camp.
The Council reported that they are “actively working” with the Israel Defense Forces and partners on the ground to “evaluate what happened.” They stated that the Israeli authorities are already carrying out an investigation into the incident, Efe noted.
Despite the International Court of Justice’s order issued on Friday for the immediate halt of the operation in Rafah, the Israeli offensive remains focused on that area.
Nearly a million people have fled Rafah, mostly to the west, to the beaches of Al Mawasi, where they are overcrowded and without sanitation or drinking water.
Keep reading:
• Death toll in Gaza exceeds 36,000, according to Hamas-controlled health ministry
• An Israeli attack on a refugee camp in Rafah leaves dozens dead, according to Hamas
• Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the demand in the negotiations to stop the war against Hamas