The Israeli military announced the elimination of Hamas’ West Bank office head, Yasin Rabie, and the movement’s leader, Khaled Najjar, in the airstrikes it conducted on the city of Rafah. Early on Monday, the Israeli military acknowledged launching an airstrike on the “Tal Al-Sultan” area in southern Gaza, justifying it as targeting a “terrorist” complex belonging to Hamas.
Avichay Adraee, the army spokesperson, said, “Aircraft recently attacked a complex belonging to the terrorist organization Hamas in Rafah, which was occupied by prominent saboteurs from the organization.” He added, “The strike targeted saboteurs who constitute a legitimate target under the provisions of international law, and it was carried out using precision ammunition, based on prior intelligence indicating Hamas saboteurs’ use of the area.” He continued, “We are aware of claims that the strike and subsequent fire in the area resulted in injuries to several uninvolved individuals. An investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway.”
Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli military conducted three Israeli airstrikes on residential neighborhoods in Rafah after bombing a displaced persons camp, resulting in the deaths of over 30 Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the Government Media Office in Gaza stated that the Israeli military bombed more than 10 displacement centers managed by UNRWA in the past few hours. It revealed that the Israeli military used 7 missiles in bombing the displaced persons camp, emphasizing that “the massacre at the displaced persons camp in Rafah coincided with the shutdown of hospitals in the area.”
The Israeli military previously considered the targeted displacement areas and centers as “safe zones,” but then proceeded to target them.
The Gaza Civil Defense reported that the area targeted by the Israeli military in northwest Rafah is home to 100,000 displaced individuals. It noted the observation of “many cases of amputation, severe burns, and victims including women and children following the camp massacre.”
