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Picture courtesy: (BASHAR TALEB / AFP SHARE) Palestinians flee Rafah carrying their belongings with a donkey-drawn cart.
(The Post News)- An Israeli-launched airstrike attack resulted in a massive blaze where at least 50 people lost their lives in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, June 3.
The bodies were recovered from Jabalia on Sunday as Palestinian paramedics and civil defense teams searched for the remains of Gaza’s biggest refugee camp after the withdrawal during the week from Israel.
Although it had withdrawn from the camp, Israel’s military had indeed been advancing into Rafah during the week, despite the decision from international states to put an end to its attack on Rafah.
Ansar Mahdi, a Gaza resident, argued during the week that she had been displaced four times.
They were told to move from the north to the south and they did move, even though it was difficult.
They stayed in tents in distressing conditions because they had nowhere to go.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the fire was not intentional and that the military had made efforts not to hurt innocent civilians.
The military argued the attack resulted in Hamas militants losing their lives, and the fire could be a result of the detonation of weapons being placed nearby by Hamas.
According to the official Wafa news agency, more people are still missing; schools, hospitals, and shelters were spared from bombing and destruction.
However, the remains of the camp resemble those after the attack from Israel leading to the devastating earthquake, which also contributed to the argument that the army operated a scorched earth policy during the 20-day operation.
On the other hand, the remains of 70 people, including 20 children, were discovered in the camp on Friday, May 31.
Several people lost their lives and were injured in an attack on the vicinity of Gaza City’s university college in the Al Sabra neighborhood.
The attack was also announced in Al Zeitoun, where homes in the Old City and the eastern neighborhood of Al Daraj were attacked.
Wafa added that more people were injured and homes destroyed in Rafah’s Al Brazil neighborhood, while artillery Israel launched an attack on western parts of the city.
However, the number of deceased was not released as it did not give an exact death toll for the attacks.
These attacks occurred as Israel and Hamas were negotiating a ceasefire deal. The current proposal is a three-phase plan that includes an initial six-week halt to fighting and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees.
On Saturday, June 1, the US, Qatar, and Egypt urged both parties to agree to the proposal outlined by President Joe Biden. They emphasized that the deal serves multiple interests and will provide immediate relief for Palestinian civilians and Israeli captives.
The United Nations, the European Union, and leaders across the world condemned the attack from Israel, which was launched two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to stop its campaign in Rafah.
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told the parliament that the destruction in Rafah was horrific and unacceptable.
They reiterated to the government of Israel that this cannot go on.
Several people sheltering in Rafah have left the camp in recent weeks, even though the aid groups argue that camps elsewhere lack adequate supplies of tents, food, and medicine.
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