The UN Security Council is set to convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday over an Israeli strike that killed dozens in a displaced persons camp in Rafah on Sunday. The Israeli army targeted two senior Hamas members on Sunday. 45 people were killed, according to Gaza health officials. Meanwhile, AFP journalists on the ground early on Tuesday reported fresh Israeli strikes overnight in the southern Gaza border city.
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The attack prompted a wave of international condemnations, with Palestinians and many Arab countries calling it a “massacre.” Israel said that it was looking into the “tragic accident.”
“There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres posted on social media.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths pointed to the widespread warnings of civilian deaths that circulated ahead of Israel’s incursion into Rafah, saying in a statement: “We’ve seen the consequences in last night’s utterly unacceptable attack.”
“To call it ‘a mistake’ is a message that means nothing for those killed, those grieving, and those trying to save lives,” he added.
Diplomats said that the UN Security Council would convene on Tuesday for an emergency session called by Algeria to discuss the attack.
The EU’s foreign policy chief said he was “horrified by news” of the strike, while French President Emmanuel Macron stated he was “outraged,” and a US National Security Council spokesperson noted that Israel “must take every precaution possible to protect civilians.”
The Israeli military announced that it was launching a probe.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament that the deaths occurred “despite our best efforts” to protect civilians.
With AFP
