Israel’s closure of Rafah is a ‘death sentence’ for thousands of sick and injured individuals
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Sunday’s Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in Rafah, which killed dozens of Palestinian refugees, was a “tragic accident,” but reiterated his commitment to fighting Hamas.
The war will continue. The Israeli Prime Minister’s statement came after mounting international pressure and condemnation of the attack. Gaza’s health ministry says at least 45 people have been killed in the attack, while hundreds of injured are being treated for burns, fractures and shrapnel.
Speaking in the Israeli parliament, Netanyahu said it was important that Israel take “all necessary precautions” to protect civilians trapped by the war in Gaza. However, he emphasized that the Israeli Defense Forces have ‘done their best to ensure that innocent civilians are not harmed.
Netanyahu added, “I intend not to call a ceasefire until all of our goals are met.” During his speech, families of hostages held by Hamas continued to shout, interrupting his speech. The Prime Minister is facing severe criticism from these families for not being able to reach an agreement with Hamas.
We have ensured the evacuation of 1 million civilians from Rafah so far, and despite our best efforts not to harm innocent civilians, something unfortunately went very wrong,” Netanyahu stressed. We are investigating the matter and will conclude as this is our policy.
International organizations have condemned the attack, and the European Union has noted that Israel must respect last week’s ruling by the International Court of Justice and stop attacks in Rafah. EU chief Josep Borrell described Sunday’s attack as ‘horrific’.
Despite the International Court of Justice’s ruling, Israel has reiterated its continued offensive in Rafah, and Israeli officials have asserted that the ruling exempts the attack under international law. The UN human rights chief, Walker Tucker, said the attack showed that “there appears to be no change in the weapons and tactics used by the Israelis in a war that has already killed many civilians.”
What kind of humanity is this? These people have been burnt:
It should be noted that in the videos received from southern Gaza since Sunday night, apart from a giant explosion, a heavy fire can be seen. Hamas says that an Israeli airstrike has been carried out on a refugee camp in the northwest of Rafah, resulting in the death of many people, including women and children.
A civil defense official said that ‘the Israeli army deliberately killed displaced civilians in the area. It was a safe humanitarian zone, and Israel asked them to move there,” he said. The official further said that ‘These were UN Refugee Agency (UNRWA) camps consisting of tents and rooms made of tin and wood from which dozens of dead and injured were evacuated.
He confirmed that they had managed to put out the fire and were still shifting the injured and charred bodies due to the bad condition of the hospitals. “This shows once again that there is no safe place in the Gaza Strip,” the charity Doctors Without Borders said in a statement.
A witness in Rafah said that the Israeli bombardment of a camp for displaced people in the Gaza Strip was ‘madness’.They say, ‘What kind of humanity is this? These people have been burnt. Still, God is sufficient for us, and He is the best; what can I say?’ He added that ‘suddenly a missile fell on a camp and many people were burnt, go and see what happened to them.
The IDF, on the other hand, says it has targeted Hamas fighters in the area and also says it is aware of reports of civilian casualties due to the resulting fire. The IDF says it is investigating the incident but that it has used weapons that selectively target ‘legitimate targets’.
