Rafah, Gaza

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, on Monday (May 27) said that the death toll from an Israeli air strike which hit a camp housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah rose to 45. 

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This latest attack on tent camps follows the launching of dozens of rockets from Rafah towards central Israel, a first in four months. 

"The Rafah massacre yesterday left 45 martyrs, including 23 women, children and elderly. There are 249 others who were wounded," said the Gaza health ministry in an update. 

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the airstrikes, stating, "An IDF aircraft struck a Hamas compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating a short while ago."

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In a statement, IDF said that the strike was carried out against "legitimate targets under international law, through the use of precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area."

The IDF also took cognisance of the reports of civilian harm resulting from the airstrike and the subsequent fire and said that the "incident is under review." 

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Among those targeted in the precise airstrike were two senior Hamas officials - Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar.

The IDF described Rabia as managing Hamas' terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria, transferring funds to terrorist targets, and planning multiple attacks that resulted in the deaths of IDF soldiers.

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Nagar, a senior official in Hamas’ Judea and Samaria Headquarters, was said to have directed shooting attacks and other terrorist activities and transferred funds intended for Hamas’ terrorist activities in Gaza. IDF said that Nagar also carried out attacks that killed the soldiers of the Israeli army.

Hamas condemns airstrike

Hamas condemned the airstrikes and in a statement wrote, “In light of the horrific Zionist massacre this evening committed by the criminal occupation army against the tents of the displaced… we call on the masses of our people in the West Bank, Jerusalem, the occupied territories, and abroad to rise up and march angrily against the ongoing Zionist massacre against our people in the sector." 

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This escalation comes amid ongoing international concern, with the International Court of Justice recently ordering Israel to cease its attacks on Rafah. The situation remains tense as the conflict continues to impact civilians and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

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)