Senior European Officials Condemn Deadly Israeli Attack on Refugee Camp in Rafah

Israel's airstrike on a Palestinian refugee camp in Rafah on Sunday night has reportedly left 45 dead, according to health officials from the extremist group Hamas, prompting widespread international condemnation. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, expressed his 'anger' over the attack on Monday, June 7, calling for an end to Israeli operations in Rafah. He tweeted in English: 'There is no safe area left in Rafah for Palestinian civilians.' Dozens, including 'two senior Hamas members,' were killed in the heavy Israeli airstrike on Rafah. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, also expressed his 'horror' at the news of the Israeli attack that killed dozens of homeless individuals, including small children, and stated: 'I strongly condemn this attack.' He called for an immediate halt to such attacks and emphasized that rulings from the International Court of Justice and international humanitarian laws must be respected by all parties involved. The Gaza health ministry, controlled by Hamas, reported that the casualties from this attack in the 'Tal al-Sultan' neighborhood of Rafah were mostly women and children, with dozens more injured. Initially, the death toll was reported as 35, but hours later, Gaza health officials confirmed that 45 had died in the attack. A spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent previously stated that as search and rescue operations continued, the death toll was likely to rise. The Irish Foreign Minister, whose country has stated it will soon recognize Palestine, declared: 'What we witnessed last night was barbaric.' The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) also tweeted that Gaza has become a 'hell on earth,' and the images released from the previous night's attack are 'evidence' of this claim. In response to reports of civilian deaths, an Israeli government spokesperson confirmed on Monday that civilians had died due to fires caused by the Israeli attack. Avi Hayman described the deaths of civilians in Rafah as 'horrific and dreadful' and stated that initial investigations indicate the airstrike against senior Hamas militants caused a fire in civilian tents that led to their deaths. He reiterated the need to continue attacks against Hamas members in Gaza. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. Meanwhile, the Israeli military prosecutor referred to the incident as 'very serious.' Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi stated at a press conference on Monday that the Israeli army is 'sorry' for the civilian deaths during the war. She added: 'The details of the incident are still under investigation' and that the military prosecutor is committed to fully investigating it. The Israeli army also stated that prior to the Sunday night attack on western Rafah, measures were taken to minimize harm to civilians and that they did not expect the attack to affect Gaza's civilian residents. The statement noted that based on 'aerial surveillance, the use of precision munitions, and additional intelligence,' civilians were not expected to be targeted. The Israeli army also announced that an independent unit within the Israeli army headquarters would investigate the deaths of Palestinian civilians. The Israeli army had previously stated that the Sunday attack targeted one of Hamas's facilities and killed two senior Hamas militants, identified by the Israeli Defense Ministry as 'Yasin Rabi' and 'Khaled Naqar.' Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Turkey have separately condemned the attack. In contrast, a German government spokesperson stated that the Sunday night attack in Rafah likely occurred due to a 'mistake' and emphasized Israel's right to 'defend itself within the framework of international law.' The airstrike occurred just hours after the extremist group Hamas launched rockets from Gaza into Israeli territory, sounding air raid sirens in Israel for the first time since January. Rafah, located at the southernmost tip of the Gaza Strip, is home to more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population before the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas. Hundreds of thousands have also sought refuge in this area since the war began. According to Gaza's health ministry, over 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. This Hamas-affiliated entity does not provide a breakdown of casualties between civilians and militants.