At least 21 people were killed in what Palestinian television described as a “new massacre” when Israeli airstrikes hit tents of displaced persons in the Al-Mawasi area of Rafah, Gaza Strip, according to the Arab World News Agency.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian President, condemned the Israeli attacks on Rafah, calling them a massacre and urging the implementation of the International Court of Justice’s ruling that orders Israel to cease its offensive on the city.
The Al-Mawasi area, a narrow coastal strip extending from southern Rafah to Khan Yunis to the north, has become a primary refuge for those returning from Rafah after Israel issued an evacuation order for parts of Rafah, directing residents to move to this area.
Earlier on Tuesday, eyewitnesses confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) the “positioning” of Israeli tanks in the center of Rafah city in southern Gaza amidst reports of intense fighting with Hamas fighters.
On Sunday, 40 people, including children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on tents of displaced persons near the United Nations headquarters in northwest Rafah.
Israel launched a ground offensive on Rafah, home to 1.4 million Palestinian civilians, earlier this month. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that nearly one million civilians were displaced from the city following Israeli evacuation orders.
Israeli forces have also taken control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The war in Gaza began after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israeli territory on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.
In response, Israel has conducted a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 36,000 people.
