IDF claims hidden weapons cache likely triggered Rafah camp fire, denies attacking evacuation area

Israel's military has refuted claims that its forces were responsible for an attack in an evacuation area in west Rafah on Tuesday (May 28) that resulted in the killing of 21 people as per Gaza health authorities.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military also commented on the fire that broke out after the nighttime airstrikes in Rafah on a refugee camp on May 26 that reportedly killed 45 people.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that a hidden weapons cache could have triggered the deadly fire on May 26.

It said that an airstrike targeted a nearby area using munitions that the IDF claimed were 'too small' to cause such extensive damage on their own.According to the IDF, the secondary explosion likely resulted from the stored weapons, leading to the fire that killed dozens of civilians, as per a Times of Israel report.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman, addressed the incident in a press conference on Tuesday (May 28).

“Sadly, following the strike, due to unforeseen circumstances, a fire ignited, taking the lives of Gazan civilians nearby. Despite our efforts to minimise civilian casualties during the strike, the fire that broke out was unexpected and unintended,” Hagari said.

“The strike was conducted using two munitions with small warheads, suited for this targeted strike,” Hagari said, adding, “Our investigation seeks to determine what may have caused such a large fire to ignite. We are looking into all possibilities, including the possibility that weapons stored in a compound next to our target, which we did not know of, may have ignited as a result of the strike."

US says no change in policy

Reacting to the two deadly strikes, the Biden administration said that it is closely monitoring the probe into the incident. US Vice President Kamala Harris said, "The word tragic doesn't even begin to describe what happened on Sunday."

However, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that there was no change in the US policy or military aid to Israel.

The conflict has resulted in over 36,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's health ministry.Israel is aiming to dismantle the Hamas hideouts in Rafah and rescue hostages believed to be held in the area.

Israel's offensive began following an October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in over 250 hostages being taken.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)