Israeli Strikes On Rafah Tent Camp Kill 21, Injure Over 60

According to Gaza health authorities, Israeli airstrikes on a tent camp in an evacuation area west of Rafah have killed at least 21 people and injured more than 60. 

Gaza emergency services said that on Tuesday, four tank shells hit a cluster of tents in Al-Mawasi, a coastal area designated by Israel as a safe zone for civilians from Rafah.

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Medical officials report that among the dead, at least 12 were women.  

Among the dead, at least 12 were women, according to medical officials.

Despite the reports, the Israeli army denied targeting the area. “Contrary to the reports … the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) did not strike in the Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi,” said in the military statement. 

This attack came just two days after another Israeli airstrike on a different camp in Rafah that killed at least 45 people.

Israel claimed that its intended targets were Hamas commanders and not civilians.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented on the deadly airstrikes, urging for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

“The Israeli authorities must allow, facilitate, and enable the immediate, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need and all crossing points must be open,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on behalf of Guterres.

The humanitarian crisis in Rafah is escalating, with the World Health Organization warning that the last functioning hospital in the area could soon become non-operational if “the incursion” continues. 

Richard Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative for Gaza and the West Bank, said: “ If the incursion would continue, we would lose the last hospital in Rafah.”

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