35 Palestinians Killed As Israel Strikes Rafah After Hamas Attack, Military Says 'Incident Under Review'
At least 35 Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded after Israel carried out an airstrike on Rafah fogllowing the attack by Hamas on Tel Aviv on Sunday.
After Hamas fired eight rockets from Rafah towards Tel Aviv in the first long-range attack on the city since January, the Israel Defence Forces stated they carried out an air strike targeting a Hamas compund in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, news agency BBC reported.
Although Isareli military said that the strike was carried out with "precise ammunition and on the basis of precise intelligence", the airstrikes are said to have claimed the lives of at least 35 Palestinians, leaving dozens wounded, news agency Reuters reported.
Rafah has been designated as an area for the displaced who fled Gaza's northern part after Isarel's counterattack against Hamas begun last year in October.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, confirming the attack, stated that dozens of people were killed and injured in a blast that occurred at a refugee camp in the Rafah area, BBC report said.
According to Ashraf Al-Qidra, the spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, most of the deceased were women and children.
IDF Says 'Incident Is Under Review'
Following the blast, IDF said it was aware of the reports regarding the casualties and added: "The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review."
As per the BBC report, the videos from the southern Gaza Strip showed a massive explosion and intense fires burning.
The Israeli airstrike, according to Hamas, had hit a camp in Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood where displaced Palestinians had taken shelter, in the north-west of Rafah. It was away from the recent military operations in a designated humanitarian safe zone.
However, IDF maintained it had targeted Hamas militants in the area and were even aware of reports which said the strike had ignited a fire, harming civilians.
On Sunday, air raid sirens were sounded around Tel Aviv after central Israel was attacked by Hamas rockets, which were fired from near Rafah.
But all of the eight rockets that were fired by Hamas were either intercepted by Israeli air defence systems or fell in fields, BBC reported.
Despite the International Court of Justice's ruling on Friday to halt, Israel has continued its offensive in Rafah.
Although no injuries or casualties were reported in Israel, the rocket barrage highlights the threat Hamas poses to the people in Israel.
It also showcases the challenges faced by the Israeli army as it moves further into southern Gaza in order to oust Hamas from its “last major stronghold”.
Hamas's rocket attack came ahead of its further ceasefire negotiations with Israel, expected to resume next week.
Remarking on the attack, the military wing of Hamas stated it had acted in response to "the massacre of civilians".
Believing Israeli hostages are still held in Rafah, Israel began its offensive in the city around three weeks ago, vowing to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions hiding there.
According to UN, more than 800,000 Palestinians have fled from Rafah ever since the offensive began. Besides this, around 1.5 million had been taken shelter there from the fighting elsewhere in Gaza.
Israel began the military campaign in Gaza after the Hamas-led gunmen on 7 October, attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 252 as hostages with them back to Gaza.
According to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, almost 36,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the war since then.
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