Image Credit: Palestine Remembered
Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza, targets civilian shelter, sparking fire and causing casualties. World leaders condemn the attack amid ongoing conflict. IDF claims targeting Hamas leaders denies hitting designated humanitarian zone. Qatar warns strike may disrupt cease-fire efforts.
An Israeli airstrike on May 27 targeted an area in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, where displaced civilians were sheltering, igniting a fire that ravaged the camp, claiming the lives of dozens.
Images circulated on social media depicted harrowing scenes of victims engulfed in flames and severely burned bodies, including that of a child. The strike drew swift condemnation from world leaders, coming days after the UN's top court ordered Israel to halt its offensive in southern Gaza. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed they targeted two senior Hamas leaders and denied hitting a designated humanitarian area.
Qatar warned the strike could jeopardize cease-fire efforts, while Egypt reported a soldier's death in a firefight with Israeli forces at the Rafah border. The IDF confirmed a shooting incident at the Egyptian border, under review in coordination with Egyptian authorities. Despite IDF claims of minimizing civilian harm, Gaza's health ministry reported at least 45 casualties, mostly women and children.
Palestinian Civil Defense in Rafah emphasized the strike hit a designated humanitarian area near UN warehouses. Médecins Sans Frontières reported receiving dozens of injured, with 28 dead and 180 wounded. The incident underscores the ongoing conflict's toll on civilians and the challenges of protecting them amid escalating violence.
