Israeli strikes on Rafah tent camps kill 25 Palestinians, wound 50 others

At least 25 Palestinians were killed and 50 others injured on Friday when Israeli forces shelled tents housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area in western Rafah, southern Gaza.

The Israeli strike on tents in Al-Mawasi has resulted in 25 deaths and 50 injuries, according to a statement released by the Gaza Health Ministry.

Prior to this, medical sources informed Anadolu that when Israeli tanks attacked the camp for displaced people, rescue workers found the deaths of eighteen casualties and attended to thirty-five injuries.

READ: Israeli forces step up strikes across Gaza

As its medical personnel were “handling a large number of casualties following the Israeli shelling in the area,” the Palestinian Red Crescent Society verified the occurrence.

When a group of displaced individuals gathered close to the gate of the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital in western Rafah, two Israeli Merkava tanks stationed on a hill opposite the Shakoush neighborhood launched artillery shells, according to witnesses who spoke with Anadolu.

READ: Israeli shelling kills dozens across Gaza amid intense conflict

Rescue efforts continue as ambulances raced to the area to take the injured and deceased to field hospitals.

Israeli

Tents caught fire as a result of the shelling, which made the displaced people more afraid and anxious. Witnesses reported a large-scale departure from the tents in the direction of Khan Younis in the north.

Under the pretense of creating a “safe zone,” the Israeli army had ordered Palestinian displaced people to congregate along the beach strip at Al-Mawasi. This region stretches one kilometer inland and 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) along the Mediterranean shore.

Residential infrastructure, including as communication networks, electrical lines, and sewage systems, is lacking in the Al-Mawasi area. Sand dunes and agricultural greenhouses make up the majority of the area.

The area’s displaced population lives in appalling conditions with acute shortages of food, water, medical treatment, and sanitary supplies.

Following an attack by the Palestinian organization Hamas on October 7, 2023, which claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis, Israel has been under worldwide criticism for its persistent and violent onslaught in Gaza, defying a UN Security Council decision that called for an immediate cease-fire.

Over 37,400 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s ceaseless airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since last October, according to the beleaguered enclave’s Health Ministry.

Additionally, almost 85,600 individuals have been injured in the onslaught, the ministry added.