At least 45 Palestinians, including 23 women, children and elderly people, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a camp for evacuees from the southern Gaza city of Rafah on May 27.
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| The scene after a fire caused by an Israeli airstrike at the Rafah refugee camp, May 27. (Source: Flash 90) |
A senior official from the Gaza Strip Civil Defense Authority added that the airstrikes also injured 65 people. The casualties were mostly women, children and the elderly.
Meanwhile, rescue efforts are facing major challenges due to a lack of water to extinguish fires caused by air strikes.
The Times of Israel quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying to parliament after the incident: “In Rafah, we evacuated 1 million affected people, and despite our efforts, a tragic incident occurred yesterday. We are investigating this incident and will come to a conclusion.”
Despite this, Mr Netanyahu continued to declare that he would continue fighting in Gaza until all objectives were achieved and “the flag of victory was raised”.
Meanwhile, Major General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, Israel's top military prosecutor, said the airstrike was "very serious" and the military regretted any harm to civilians.
On the same day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement saying it had directed the General Staff's Fact-Finding and Assessment Unit to investigate the attack.
"Prior to the attack, a number of steps were taken to reduce the risk of harm to uninvolved civilians, including the deployment of aerial surveillance, precision air strikes, and additional intelligence," the IDF statement added.
Responding to the incident, Xinhua news agency quoted a source as saying that Hamas had informed mediators that the movement would not participate in any negotiations on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
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| Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks before Parliament on May 27, following the attack that killed 45 Palestinian refugees. (Source: Flash90) |
International reaction
After the attack, on May 27, United Nations Secretary -General Antonio Guterres posted a status on his personal social network saying, "Nowhere in Gaza is safe and this horror must end."
On the same day, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed shock at the incident and urged the Israeli government to comply with the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and end the military campaign in Rafah.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) described reports of attacks on civilians seeking shelter in Rafah as "horrifying".
On the US side, the spokesman for the National Security Council stated: "Israel has the right to pursue Hamas... But as we have made clear, Israel must take every possible precaution to protect civilians."
Washington affirmed that it is actively coordinating with the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened, noting that the IDF is conducting an investigation.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry issued a statement stressing that Israel's latest attack on Rafah could hinder reconciliation efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement with Hamas.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attack, describing it as "extremely serious".
Italy has taken a similar stance. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the Palestinian people were being oppressed and their rights were being ignored; violence against civilians in Gaza was unjustifiable.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed outrage at the incident, declaring: "These activities must stop. There is no safe zone in Rafah for Palestinian civilians."
EU to trigger action in Rafah
On the same day, May 27, AFP news agency reported that the foreign ministers of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) agreed to convene a meeting with Israel to ask the country to explain its actions in the attack in Rafah despite the ICJ's ruling.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the attack horrifying, stressing that it showed there was no safe place in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Reuters quoted Mr. Borrell as saying that EU foreign ministers agreed in principle to restore the bloc's civilian mission in Rafah, which had been inactive since 2007, when Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip.
"They have given me the green light, the political green light to reactivate our mission, our mission in Rafah. This can play a useful role in assisting people to get in and out of Gaza," the EU diplomat said.
However, the EU High Representative also noted that this plan must be implemented with the consensus of Palestine, Egypt and Israel. Many diplomats assessed that the EU mission is unlikely to be implemented before the conflict in Rafah ends.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/vu-khong-kich-trai-ti-nan-o-rafah-cap-nhat-so-nguoi-tu-vong-israel-thua-nhan-tham-kich-eu-kich-hoat-hanh-dong-272847.html
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