The Gaza government's media office reported that at least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured after several Israeli airstrikes targeted a displaced persons camp in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, igniting fires in their tents. A paramedic indicated that the final death toll from the Tel al-Sultan camp has not yet been determined, adding that many were injured due to the fire that followed the airstrikes, and residents are still trying to extinguish it.
Palestinian media reported on Sunday evening that at least 28 people had died and dozens were injured. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli army aircraft carried out heavy bombardment on the displaced persons camp with more than 8 missiles. Reports stated that "a large number of dead and injured remain in the targeted camp in western Rafah, and rescue and civil defense teams are struggling to reach them."
The Emergency Committee in Rafah issued a statement saying: "Dozens of martyrs and injured in a massacre committed by the occupation targeting the tents of displaced persons northwest of Rafah despite its claims that it was safe." The statement added that "the massacre against the displaced civilians reflects the Israeli determination to continue the killing and destruction in Rafah and to disregard all demands and international resolutions calling for the cessation of military operations and the protection of civilians." They reiterated their call "for the international community and effective UN institutions to work seriously and actively to compel the occupation to comply with the International Court of Justice's decisions and not just to issue statements and recordings of positions; otherwise, every delay will result in more victims."
The Palestinian Red Crescent announced that an Israeli strike resulted in the death and injury of "a large number" of people in a humanitarian area. It stated that its teams "are transporting a large number of dead and wounded following the Israeli army's targeting of tents for displaced persons near the United Nations headquarters in northwestern Rafah," adding that "the site was classified by the Israeli army as a humanitarian area."
The "Islamic Jihad Movement" emphasized that "the horrific massacre in Rafah is a new war crime added to the series of genocide that the enemy is waging against our people," noting that "the enemy had declared the targeted area a safe zone for the displaced." Islamic Jihad asserted that "targeting civilians in the displaced persons camps in Rafah confirms the depth of the military failure that the enemy has suffered on the ground," adding that "the enemy's crimes in Gaza are the result of American cover, the stances of some European governments, and weak positions from Arab regimes."
