DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Escalation continues as Israeli forces launched another round of strikes in the Gaza Strip, notably targeting tent camps that served as shelters for displaced Palestinians outside Rafah’s southern city. The Friday attack left at least 25 dead and 50 wounded, according to local health officials and emergency response teams. This event, part of the ongoing confrontation between Israel and Hamas, adds to the spate of incidents causing international concern over civilian safety in conflict zones.
Witnesses near a Red Cross field hospital north of Rafah reported that a subsequent bombardment occurred shortly after the initial strike, killing those who had emerged from their shelters. The proximity of these attacks to the medical facility, which received 22 fatalities and 45 injured individuals, elicited a condemnation from the International Committee of the Red Cross. The organization highlighted the use of high-caliber projectiles only a few meters from the hospital, which is surrounded by numerous tent dwellings housing both the displaced families and the hospital workers.
According to Ahmed Radwan, the spokesperson for Rafah’s Civil Defense team, the affected sites were slightly outside an area Israel had previously designated as a safe zone along the Mediterranean coast, known as Muwasi. Despite assurances concerning the zone’s security, the Israeli military has historically targeted nearby locations under the justification of striking Hamas combatants and their infrastructure. The military stated that it is investigating the strikes but initially found no evidence of an operation targeting the safe zone.
Israel’s assertion that it aims to minimize civilian casualties, while blaming Hamas for operating among civilians, has repeatedly been questioned amidst the significant loss of life and property. The ongoing conflict, now in its ninth month, has prompted accusations from international bodies, including a statement from the top UN court citing a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza, a claim Israel vehemently denies.
The assault near the Red Cross hospital started with what was described by Mona Ashour, a resident who lost her husband in the incident, as a “sound bomb” — an intense noise and flash meant to disorient. Her spouse was killed when he went out to investigate the source of the commotion, shortly before a second strike hit closer to the hospital facility.
Residents and humanitarian workers recount repetitive targeting, sometimes double striking areas to hit responders rushing to aid the initial victims. Hasan al-Najnullah, grieving the loss of his two sons in such an attack, described the chaos as people tried to assist those affected by the first strike only to be caught in the subsequent bombardment.
The ongoing Israeli invasion has transformed Rafah into a crowded refuge for over a million Palestinians fleeing from other war-torn regions of Gaza. However, as most seek safety, the reality remains grim with severe shortages of food, water, and necessary medical supplies across makeshift shelters and densely packed living quarters.
Further attacks across Gaza underscore the broader impact of the conflict. In northern Gaza, an airstrike decimated residential apartments, leading to multiple casualties, while another strike targeted a municipal structure in Gaza City, causing additional deaths. These developments contribute to a rising death toll, which, according to Gaza’s health ministry, includes over 37,400 people, though the figures do not differentiate between militants and civilians.
As international scrutiny increases, the dire humanitarian situation underscores the urgent need for sustained diplomatic efforts to address the root causes of the conflict and seek pathways to peace that ensure the safety and dignity of all civilians caught in the crossfire.