The Hindu (Delhi)

World leaders ‘outraged’ by Israel’s ‘barbaric’ attack on Rafah tent camp

Around half of the dead were women, children and older adults, says Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry; Washington asks Tel Aviv to take every precaution possible to protect civilians; France, Turkiye and Italy also condemn the strikes

Israel faced new condemnati­on on Monday for strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah that local health oficials said killed at least 45 Palestinia­ns, including displaced people living in tents that were engulfed by ffre.

Israel has faced surging internatio­nal criticism over its war with Hamas, with even some of its closest allies, particular­ly the U.S., expressing outrage at civilian deaths.

Sunday night’s attack, which appeared to be one of the war’s deadliest, pushed the overall Palesti

Fire rages following an Israeli strike on an area designated for displaced Palestinia­ns in Rafah on Sunday.

nian death toll in the war above 36,000.

The Gaza Health Ministry said around half of the dead were women, children and older adults.

France, a close Euro

pean ally of Israel, said it was “outraged” by the violence. “These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinia­n civilians. I call for full respect for internatio­nal law and an immediate ceaseffre,” President Emmanuel Macron said.

Erdogan’s statement

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that his country would do “everything possible” to hold “barbaric” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to account over deadly strikes in Rafah.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said that bombings like the one in Rafah will have long-standing repercussi­ons for Israel. “Israel with this choice is spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchild­ren,” he said.

Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas in attempts to secure a cease-ffre and the release of hostages held by Hamas, said the strikes could “complicate” talks.

U.S. remarks

Meanwhile, the United States said Israel must make every possible efiort to avoid civilian casualties. “As we have been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians,” a U.S. National Security Council spokespers­on said in a statement.

“We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened,” the spokespers­on added.