An Israeli airstrike that caused a huge blaze at a camp for displaced people in Rafah killed 45 people, medics said yesterday, with images of dead and injured children prompting an outcry from global leaders and putting ceasefire talks in jeopardy.
Bombing on Sunday night, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said targeted senior Hamas militants, appears to have ignited fires that spread quickly through tents, overwhelming a nearby field hospital operated by the Red Cross and overstretched local hospitals.
"We pulled out people who were in an unbearable state," Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in the north-western neighbourhood of Tel al-Sultan, told the Associated Press. "We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal." The health ministry in the Hamascontrolled area said about half the dead were women, children and older adults. Children wandered around the smoking wreckage yesterday as searches for the dead continued and mourning families prepared to bury loved ones.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in parliament yesterday that "something unfortunately went tragically wrong" with the airstrike. "We are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions," he said.
The US, Israel's staunchest ally and weapons supplier, described the images from the aftermath as devastating.
The strike, one of the deadliest single incidents in the eight-month war to date, came two days after the international court of justice in The Hague, which arbitrates between states, ordered Israel to stop its operation in Rafah immediately.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin May 28, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin May 28, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
'We're all on one page' Ten Hag insists job is safe after latest United debacle
Erik ten Hag denied any concern that he may be sacked by Manchester United following Tottenham's 3-0 humiliation of his side at Old Trafford.
Abject United plumb new depths as Fernandes sees red
This is the nadir of Erik ten Hag's Manchester United tenure: a shambolic mess that Tottenham exploited gleefully, pinging the ball about, and punching through their storied host as if in a men-v-kids knockabout.
for 'I could have applied Championship jobs but I need to earn the right to manage'
By the time Robbie Savage's official matchday duties start, he has been at Moss Lane almost four hours.
Pepper strikes to give Leicester some problems to digest
Michael Cheika was given a reminder of the size of the task ahead as his Leicester side paid a heavy price for their mistakes on his first home match in charge.
Australia beat rain and Brook's misfiring hosts to claim series
Despite a spot of time-wasting towards the end, the rain arrived three minutes too late to rescue England. Australia were ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations when it came and, with just enough overs bowled to ensure a result, the tourists went on to claim a 3-2 series win and snuff out any debate about the moral victors of this one.
HMRC accused of helping bogus tax rebate fraud
HMRC has been accused of facilitating fraud by paying fictitious tax rebate claims submitted in the name of unwitting taxpayers by third-party agents.
'Huge frustration': Port Talbot's last blast furnace closes today
The steel town of Port Talbot is braced for the shutdown of the final furnace at its plant today, which will result in heavy job losses and deal a devastating blow to communities in south Wales.
Hopes fade of finding dozens missing after migrant boat sinks off Canaries
Hopes of finding 48 people missing from a migrant boat that sank close to the Spanish island of El Hierro were fading yesterday, in what could become the deadliest such incident in 30 years of crossings from Africa to the Canary Islands.
Walz v Vance Fiery debate likely as Republican tries to shrug off recent woes
The football coach and \"Yale law guy\" go head-to-head in New York City tomorrow night, as two midwesterners with very different styles and messages slug it out over the future of the US.
Hurricane Helene kills 64 and leaves millions without power in US
South-eastern US states started a massive cleanup and rescue operation yesterday after Hurricane Helene brought winds, rain and storm surges that killed at least 64 people, left millions without power and destroyed roads and bridges.