Israeli airstrikes in Rafah and shootings on the border with Egypt escalate tensions in the Middle East

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated dramatically over the past 24 hours with a series of critical events.

An Israeli airstrike on the Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday evening left scores of victims, including 45 people dead, and sparked a wave of worldwide condemnation.

The attack came after Hamas launched rocket attacks on Israel, including Tel Aviv, from Rafah.

Meanwhile, a “shooting incident on the Egyptian border” involving Israeli and Egyptian forces led to immediate diplomatic dialogue.

What happened in Rafah: An Israeli airstrike on the Gaza city of Rafah has sparked significant international outcry. The attack, which targeted a tent camp, resulted in a massive fire and the deaths of 45 people, Reuters reported, citing local officials. The attack was condemned by several countries and international organizations, including the United Nations and UNICEF.

France President Emmanuel Macron expressed his outrage and called for an “immediate ceasefire,” pointing to the lack of safe areas for Palestinian civilians in Rafah. Josep Borrell condemned the strikes and was appalled by the deaths of the displaced people, including children.

Qatar warned that the attacks could jeopardize renewed mediation efforts for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.

Katharina RussellUNICEF Executive Director, expressed her deep dismay at the images of burned children and families emerging from bombed tents in Rafah. In her comments on social media, she described the reported killing of children who had sought refuge in makeshift tents as “unconscionable” and called for “an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and an end to the senseless killing of children”.

So far there has been no reaction from senior US officials, including President Joe Biden and Foreign Minister Anthony Flash.

Israel said the airstrike targeted a Hamas compound and killed two commanders. Israel’s top military lawyer, Major General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, described the airstrike as “very serious” and confirmed an ongoing investigation.

Shooting at the border escalates tensions between Israel and Egypt: The Israeli military today confirmed a “shooting incident at the Egyptian border.” According to reports in the Times of Israel, one Egyptian soldier was killed and others injured at the Rafah border crossing, but no Israeli soldiers were hurt.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched an investigation and are in dialogue with Egyptian officials.

Israeli central bank leaves interest rates unchanged, warns of rising inflation: The Bank of Israel has left its key interest rate at 4.5% for the third consecutive month, following a 25 basis point cut in early January.

The decision reflected concerns about possible inflationary pressures due to geopolitical developments, the devaluation of the shekel, supply constraints and global oil prices.

Market reactions: The Israeli shekel lost 0.4% against the dollar on Monday, while the country’s main stock index, the Tel Aviv 125, which is widely iShares MSCI USA ETF (NYSE:EIS) fell slightly by 0.1%.

Oil prices, tracked by the United States Oil Fund (NYSE:USO) rose 0.6%, with the West Texas Middle School (WTI) is trading at $78 per barrel.

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Photo: Peter Hermes Furian via Shutterstock