Palestine (Washington Insider Magazine)— More than two dozen people were killed in the Gaza Strip, including 16 in the southern city of Rafah, after another night of intense Israeli bombardment. The attacks also targeted tents for displaced people near refugee centers in the area.
Deaths in Al Hashash and Al Baraksat
In Rafah, at least seven people died in the Al Hashash area, while another seven perished in attacks on the displaced persons camp in Al Baraksat, near UNRWA shelters, according to local sources.
Further Casualties
Two other Gazans, including an elderly man and a ten-year-old boy named Muhamad al Faraa, were killed in artillery attacks in Rafah. The boy’s family reported that their home was bombed as they were preparing to leave the Zourob neighborhood, where Israeli forces are increasing their attacks.
Military Movements
This morning, Israeli military vehicles and excavators were active in the Zourob neighborhood under heavy fire from smoke bombs and flares, accompanied by helicopters and drones, according to local sources.
Northern Gaza Attack
According to Cooperative, in northern Gaza, six people were killed in an Israeli attack, including a doctor near the Kamal Adwan hospital, which ceased operations over a week ago due to a military siege. Intense bombing also occurred in Tal al Sultan, a supposed “safe zone” in northwest Rafah, where a recent Israeli attack killed at least 45 people and started a fire.
Impact on Medical Facilities
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that some bombings occurred near their stabilization center in Tal al Sultan, preventing medical personnel from entering or leaving the facility. Martina Marchiò, MSF medical coordinator in Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire.
Displacement Crisis
According to UNRWA, approximately one million Gazans have fled Rafah in the last three weeks since the Israeli ground offensive began. The escalating shelling is now forcing people to leave the western area of Rafah for Khan Younis.
Humanitarian Crisis
Since the start of the war in Gaza, almost eight months ago, more than 36,000 people have died, according to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, in an enclave mired in an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with shortages of water and food.
Emergency meeting of the UN Security Council
According to Aljazeera, following the Israeli attack in Rafah last Sunday, in which almost 50 people lost their lives, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday. The meeting, requested by Algeria, follows a call by the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, for Israel to conduct a “thorough and transparent investigation” into the attack.
UN condemnation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres denounced the attack on Monday and called for ceasing the violence. “There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must end,” Guterres wrote on his social media account.
Israeli Prime Minister’s reaction
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the deaths of civilians in Rafah as a “tragic mishap” following the airstrike in which around 45 Palestinians, including many children, were killed in a tent camp for displaced persons.