Israel attacks Rafah as pressure mounts over Gaza war: Live updates

Dozens of people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a refugee camp in Rafah on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack on Monday as a “tragic mistake.” The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident in the city in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Previously, world leaders had called on Israel to comply with Friday’s International Court of Justice ruling and stop its military operations in Rafah.

Number of fatalities: At least 45 people were killed and over 200 injured in the attack, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Most of them were women and children, according to Palestinian authorities. Footage obtained by CNN shows the camp ablaze as dozens of men, women and children desperately try to take cover from the nighttime attack. Burnt bodies can be seen, including children, being pulled from the rubble by rescue workers.

US response: A National Security Council spokesman said Monday the attack was “heartbreaking,” adding that the United States was in “active dialogue” with Israeli authorities to find out exactly what happened.

International reaction: UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, saying: “This horror must stop.” Other international figures who spoke out included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell.

Another strike: According to the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza, at least five people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a house in the Al-Zarqa neighborhood in northern Gaza on Monday, including a four-year-old girl. A CNN video shows rescue workers searching the remains of the building in almost total darkness, looking for survivors.

Hospital in Rafah closes: The Kuwaiti hospital in the center of Rafah was forced to close on Monday after Israeli military attacks increased around the hospital. Recent “repeated and deliberate” attacks by Israeli forces have resulted in the death of two hospital staff and the injury of five medical staff, said Dr. Suhaib Al-Hims, director of the Kuwaiti hospital. The remaining medical teams will be transferred to a field hospital currently being prepared in the Al-Mawasi area of ​​the Gaza Strip, Al-Hims said.

Tensions between Egypt and Israel: The Israeli attack on the border corridor is creating an “uncontrollable situation, both on the ground and psychologically, which can lead to escalation,” Al-Qahera News, which is close to the Egyptian state, reported on Monday, citing an Egyptian security source. An Egyptian military spokesman said one person was killed in an exchange of fire. The Israeli military also confirmed that there had been a shooting.