What happened when Israel attacked Rafah? | News on the Israel-Palestine conflict

Israel has attacked twice since Sunday, killing dozens of people in horrific circumstances.

Thirteen of the 21 people killed in an Israeli airstrike on the so-called al-Mawasi “safe zone” were civilians, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary reported on Tuesday.

This was the second attack since Sunday. Not far from Tuesday’s attack, a terrible attack during the night between Sunday and Sunday set fire to the accommodation of displaced people.

The world watched in horror on Monday as displaced Palestinians were forced to dig through the smoldering remains with their bare hands, searching for bodies or injured people or, in some cases, any scraps of food they could salvage to keep their families fed.

As reports continue to shed light on what happened on Tuesday, here are the details of Sunday’s attack:

When and where did this attack take place?

The attack occurred on the night of May 26.

The attack targeted a camp of makeshift shelters north of the city of Rafah, in an area called Tal as-Sultan.

This came after US President Joe Biden said a “major offensive” by Israel on Rafah would be a red line.

What happened during the attack?

Flames broke out in many emergency shelters, even though the occupants were still inside.

The government media office in the Gaza Strip said Israel had dropped seven 900 kg bombs and rockets on the refugee camp.

The Israeli army said it attacked Rafah with “precision munitions” and that a nearby fuel tank triggered the subsequent shelling.

Gruesome videos have emerged of the aftermath of the incident – the most notable of which is of a man holding up the body of a small child without a head.

Al Jazeera’s Sanad Verification agency was able to obtain images of fragments believed to be weapons used in the attack. The photos provided to the agency show the tail of a GBU-39/B small bomb manufactured by Boeing. The GBU-39/B contains an engine derived from the M26 unguided rocket.

Who were the people killed?

Thousands of civilians had sought shelter in the Tal as-Sultan area, seeking some protection from the ongoing Israeli attacks throughout the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli government had not issued any orders to evacuate the area before its attack.

How many people died?

Israel killed at least 45 people in the offensive.

The total number of injured is difficult to determine because the hospital where the injured were taken was closed following an Israeli drone attack on the entrance that killed two staff members.

How did they die?

Some people were killed by the force of the bomb.

Some people were “reportedly burned to death,” said Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

What did they do when they died?

According to reports from Rafah, many of the dead were just going to sleep when the attack occurred.

Why is Israel doing this?

Initially, the Israeli army claimed that it had “attacked a Hamas complex in Rafah where major Hamas terrorists were active.”

The organization added that it was “aware of reports that several civilians in the area were injured as a result of the attack and fire.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since described the attack as “a tragic mistake.”

“Despite our efforts not to harm innocent bystanders, a tragic mistake unfortunately occurred last night. We are investigating the case,” Netanyahu said.

The attack came two days after the ICJ called on Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will convene an emergency meeting because of the attack on Rafah.

To date, the United States has vetoed every UN Security Council proposal aimed at holding Israel accountable.