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Israeli air strike at Rafah camp kills 45 as Hamas war intensifies
An Israeli air strike on a Rafah tent camp has reportedly killed some 45 persons in the Gaza city of Rafah, in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, on May 27, 2024.
The Israeli attack that claimed 45 lives has prompted a global outcry.
The incident came barely a few days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered Israel to halt, with immediate effects, all operations in Rafah.
What did ICC say?
A Judge of the International Court of Justice gave the order in a judgement issued on May 24, 2024.
The judgement followed a suit brought against Israel by South Africa over the situation in Palestine.
The court said that it is not convinced that Israel is doing enough to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Rafah.
Recall that ICC Chief Prosecutor, Karim A. A. Khan, called for arrest warrants on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reported that Khan sought arrest warrant for Sinwar and Netanyahu.
Others are Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, and 2 other Hamas leaders, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh.
Khan, in a statement, wants them arrested for crimes against humanity over the situation in the State of Palestine.
The applications for arrest warrants over the situation in Palestine was published on ICC website on May 20, 2024.
Israeli air strike plus Rafah massive fire
In the latest development, the strike hit an area designated for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinians were seen searching for food and other remains among burnt debris in the aftermath of the strike.
The air strike triggered a massive fire that reportedly killed scores of people in the tent camp according to Palestinian officials.
The officials urged the World Court to implement the order against Israel to halt the assault on hapless citizens.
In the meantime, while reacting to the air strike, Israel said that Rafah civilians were not directly hit by the strike.
Israeli officials said the victims may have died from fire set off by strike.
They also claimed that the strike targeted some Hamas terrorists seeking refuge among civilians.
The terrorists, they said, were among the leaders of the attack on Israeli civilians at West Bank on October 7, 2023.
About Israeli – Hamas war
The Israeli-Hamas war is an ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups.
It primarily takes place in the Gaza Strip and began on October 7, 2023.
Background
The war is part of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the fifth war between Gaza and Israel since 2008.
Clashes have also occurred in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and with Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon-Golan Heights border.
This conflict is the most significant military engagement in the region since the Yom Kippur War 50 years earlier.
Hamas-Led Attack
The war began when Hamas-led militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel.
The attack involved a barrage of several thousand rockets, concurrent with an estimated 3,000 militants.
The militants breach the Gaza-Israel barrier, attacking Israeli civilian communities and military bases.
Casualties and Displacement
In the Gaza Strip, over 35,984 people have been killed, 80,011 wounded, and 9,312 detained.
Israeli military killed 1,609 militants in their territory, capturing more than two hundred in the process.
Other theaters (West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen) also witnessed casualties.
Civilians have suffered, with 837 killed in Israel and 1,600+ soldiers killed on the Hamas side.
1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced in the Gaza Strip, and 200,000-500,000 Israelis were initially displaced (reduced to 60,000 by early 2024).
In Lebanon, 100,000 people were displaced.
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