# Rafah displacement camp airstrike

On 26 May 2024, the Israeli Air Force bombed a displacement camp in western Rafah as part of its offensive in the city, killing between 45 and 50 people and injuring 65. The camp was located in a humanitarian area.
Israel claimed it struck a Hamas compound in the area and that casualties were from a subsequent fire. Images of the attack spread internationally, with them being described as "some of the worst" during the war. The attack received widespread condemnation, with some groups calling it a war crime and massacre.

## Background

After evacuation orders were issued by Israel during the Israel-Hamas war, many areas of Gaza became depopulated, with refugees primarily traveling to Rafah. Rafah became dense and overcrowded, with over 1.4 million civilians sheltering in the area. However, when Israel invaded the city, it ordered the eastern neighborhoods evacuated as well. An estimated 950,000 civilians fled, going to other parts of southern Gaza designated as safe, including western Rafah.
Two days before the attack, International Court of Justice ordered Israel to prevent genocidal actions in Rafah.

## Attack

On the night of 26 May, Israel struck the camp. It claimed to have targeted a Hamas compound and to have killed two senior Hamas commanders "in accordance with international law", however saying it was aware of claims of a fire breaking out in the area. The camp was located in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in western Gaza, an area deemed humanitarian. CBS News noted that the tents were about 200 meters away from the largest United Nations warehouse in the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Health Ministry claimed the attack killed at least 45 people, and ActionAid UK said it killed 50. The GHM said that 23 children and women were among the dead. Doctors Without Borders claimed that dozens of civilians were injured, with the GHM eventually confirming 65 injuries. Survivors of the attack said it "burned people alive" and destroyed an entire block. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said civilians were trapped in the flames. A video verified by NBC News showed Palestinians screaming for help in tents "engulfed by flames" with civil defense crews attempting to stop the fire. Another video showed volunteers trying to save people, with others displaying burnt corpses, including one of a child with their head torn off. Victims of the attack were rushed to the Emirati Hospital.

## Reactions

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemned the attack, labeling it a massacre and calling for the Palestinian people to "rise up and march" against Israel. A spokesperson for the Presidency of the Palestinian Authority condemned the incident, also calling it a massacre. Spain, Ireland, and Norway condemned the attack and urged Israel to halt the offensive in a joint statement. Jeremy Corbyn, the former UK Labour Party leader, called the attack a "monstrous failure of humanity", and the UK Foreign Office reiterated that it didn't support the Rafah offensive. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the attack, saying that Israel's attacks needed to stop. Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo called for further peace negotiations after the attack. French politicians called for action against Israel for the attack, with one also calling it an "abominable massacre". President of France Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" at the attacks and again called for a ceasefire. The Italian Defense Minister said that violence against Palestinians was "no longer justifiable". Egypt condemned the attack, again calling on Israel to halt the Rafah offensive. The White House Office said it was aware of the reports and still gathering information. Qatar warned that the strike could hinder ceasefire negotiations. President of Turkey Recep Erdoğan said condemned the attack, calling it "barbaric" and saying he would do "everything possible" to hold Israel to account. The Israeli military said the attack was "under review", while its top military prosecutor said the incident "very grave".
A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross said there was a need to follow international law, and that Gaza's healthcare system couldn't handle the attack. Doctors Without Borders said the attack showed "nowhere in Gaza is safe" and reiterated it's call for a ceasefire, with UNRWA drawing the same conclusion. The Palestine Red Crescent Society noted that Israel forcibly displaced civilians into that area. ActionAid UK condemned the attack. A British doctor in the area said that videos of the attack were "truly some of the worst that I have seen".