The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that numerous airstrikes and artillery bombardments by Israel have resulted in the deaths of 100 individuals, including children, in Rafah.
The attacks, described as “extremely intense,” took place overnight Monday, raising global concerns about Israel’s potential ground operation in this southern Gazan city.
According to early Monday reports from the PRCS, the airstrikes led to the death of over 100 people as fighter jets targeted various parts of Rafah and helicopters utilized machine guns near the border regions.
The PRCS also expressed concern that the death toll might increase, as many individuals are still believed to be trapped under debris, and fighter jets continue to patrol the skies above Rafah.
The head of Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah stated that the medical facilities are overwhelmed and unable to cope with the influx of casualties caused by the bombardment.
CNN footage from inside Al Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah depicted desperate attempts by medics to save lives, including a child’s, and showed severely wounded individuals receiving treatment on the hospital’s floors. In one distressing clip, a woman is seen grieving over a child’s body shrouded in white.
The Rafah city council reported that the airstrikes targeted at least two mosques and approximately a dozen residential buildings on Monday. The Israeli military acknowledged conducting strikes in Rafah’s Shaboura region, claiming the operations were aimed at specific targets.
They also announced the rescue of two Israeli hostages, Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, in a “special operation.”
These individuals were reportedly abducted by Hamas on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak.
