Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the strike which killed scores of displaced Palestinians in Rafah on Sunday was a “tragic mishap”, amid growing international condemnation of the blast.
At least 45 people were killed according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Hundreds more were treated for severe burns, fractures and shrapnel wounds.
Speaking in the Israeli parliament, Mr Netanyahu said it was vital that Israel took “every precaution possible” to protect civilians caught up in the fighting in Gaza.
But he insisted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) used their “best efforts not to harm those uninvolved” in the conflict and vowed to keep fighting against Hamas.
“I don’t intend to end the war before every goal has been achieved,” Mr Netanyahu said during his address, which was interrupted by occasional heckles from family members of hostages taken by Hamas during the 7 October attack in southern Israel.
The prime minister has come under attack from some family members for failing to strike a deal for the return of their loved ones.
“In Rafah we already evacuated about one million non-combatant residents and despite our utmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something unfortunately went tragically wrong,” Mr Netanyahu persisted.
“We are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions because this is our policy.”
International organisations have lined up to condemn the strike, with the EU insisting that Israel respect a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week to halt strikes on Rafah. The bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, called Sunday’s strike “horrifying”.
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Despite the ICJ ruling, Israel has pledged to continue with the invasion of Rafah, with officials insisting the ruling left room for the attack to comply with international law.
Meanwhile the UN’s human rights chief, Volker Turk, said the attack suggested that there had been “no apparent change in the methods and means of warfare used by Israel that have already led to so many civilian deaths”.
Israel launched Sunday’s Rafah attack just hours after Hamas launched its first missile attack on Tel Aviv in several months.
IDF officials said that the attack had killed two senior Hamas commanders, and that it was investigating the deaths of civilians in the area.
But the Palestinian Red Crescent said the air strike targeted tents for displaced people near a UN facility in Tal al-Sultan, about 2km (1.2 miles) north-west of the centre of Rafah.
Videos from the scene in the Tal al-Sultan area on Sunday night showed a large explosion and intense fires burning.
Graphic footage showed a number of structures ablaze next to a banner saying “Kuwaiti Peace Camp ‘1’”, as well as first responders and bystanders carrying several bodies.
– BBC
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