Israeli forces shelled tent camps for displaced Palestinians north of Rafah on Friday, resulting in at least 25 fatalities and 50 injuries, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry and emergency workers. This attack marks the latest in a series of deadly incidents in the densely populated Palestinian territory, where hundreds of thousands have fled due to ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to Ahmed Radwan, spokesperson for the Civil Defence first responders in Rafah, witnesses informed rescue workers about the shelling at two locations in a coastal area now filled with tents. The Health Ministry confirmed the number of casualties.
The Civil Defence provided coordinates just outside an Israeli-designated safe zone for the locations of the attacks. The Israeli military is currently investigating these strikes. Israel has previously targeted areas near the “humanitarian zone” in Muwasi, a coastal region now hosting numerous tent camps.
The strikes occurred as Israel continued its military operations in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians have sought refuge from fighting in other parts of Gaza. Despite the exodus, the United Nations maintains that no area in Gaza is safe, with humanitarian conditions deteriorating as families shelter in tents and overcrowded apartments without sufficient food, water, or medical supplies.
These attacks follow less than a month after an Israeli bombing caused a deadly fire in a camp for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza, which elicited widespread international condemnation, including from some of Israel’s closest allies, over the military’s extended offensive into Rafah.
Israel asserts that its military targets Hamas fighters and infrastructure while attempting to minimize civilian casualties. However, the high number of civilian deaths is attributed by Israel to militants operating within the population. With the conflict now in its ninth month, international criticism is mounting over Israel’s systematic destruction in Gaza, with significant civilian losses. The United Nations’ top court has warned of a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza, a charge that Israel denies.
The ongoing conflict, which began after Hamas’ attack on October 7, has resulted in the deaths of more than 37,100 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count. Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas militants’ incursion into southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 individuals.
