Israel to investigate itself over IDF airstrike that killed at least 45 Palestinians in Rafah

05/31/2024 / By Richard Brown

The Israeli government has opened an investigation into its own actions after at least 45 Palestinian refugees were reportedly killed on Sunday, May 26, following an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) airstrike in Rafah, the southern Gazan refuge for over a million Palestinians that was previously declared a “safe zone” by Tel Aviv.

According to ABC News, shrapnel from the strike ignited a fuel tank 100 meters away from the intended target, causing a large fire at a displaced persons encampment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the civilian deaths in a speech to Israel’s parliament on Monday, May 27.

“Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night there was a tragic mistake,” he said, as quoted by the Associated Press. “We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy.”

The IDF had stated that the strike in the Tel Al-Sultan area killed two senior Hamas officials, including a commander of a unit supposedly operating in the occupied West Bank. (Related: Israeli airstrike on Gaza refugee camp in Rafah decapitates small child, kills dozens.)

In a separate statement, the Israeli army insisted that it had taken “many steps to reduce the chance of harming uninvolved civilians, including aerial surveillance, the use of precision munitions, and additional intelligence information.” It added that “no harm was expected to uninvolved civilians.”

The Times of Israel cited an IDF source who mentioned that two missiles with “reduced in size” warheads were used in the strike.

The incident has increased international pressure on Israel to agree to a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza or at least scale down operations in the densely populated enclave.

While the IDF denies deliberately targeting civilians, it has acknowledged lapses in its targeting process in the past, including an attack on an aid convoy last month that left seven foreign nationals dead.

Netanyahu vows to keep fighting war in Gaza

In his speech on Monday, Netanyahu vowed to continue the fight against Hamas. “If we surrender, we will deliver a great victory to terrorism, to Iran, and to the entire axis of evil — those who wish us dead,” he said.

Speaking at a briefing, Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the IDF, stated that the explosives used in the attack – a 17-kilogram (37 pounds) munition, which he described as the “smallest our jets can use” – could not have sparked such a large fire.

“Weapons stored in a compound next to our target, which we didn’t know of, may have ignited the fire,” he said, providing no evidence but adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Hagari explained that the attack targeted a structure where two senior Hamas commanders were meeting. He noted that pictures posted on social media appear to show secondary explosions, which could have been caused by weapons allegedly stored nearby.

The target, he said, was 1.7 kilometers (1.05 miles) from an area designated as a humanitarian zone by the Israeli military and 180 meters from the tents. According to Gaza health authorities, at least 45 people were killed in the attack, including many women, children, and the elderly.

Watch this news report discussing the growing international outrage over the deadly Israeli airstrike in Rafah, which Netanyahu is mislabeling as a “tragic mishap.”

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.