Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in a speech before the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, that the recent Israeli airstrike in the southern Gazan city of Rafah on Sunday, May 26, was just a "tragic mistake."
The airstrike, which killed at least 45 Palestinians and injured more than 200 displaced Palestinians in Rafah, was considered one of the deadliest Israeli Military Defense (IDF) strikes since Israel began its operation there on May 7.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry and Palestinian medics on the ground in Rafah, the deadly airstrike ignited a fire in the refugee camp at Tal al-Sultan, leaving most of the casualties women and children.
Hospitals in Rafah were overwhelmed and unable to accommodate the number of injured individuals. Meanwhile, footage from the aftermath of the attack shows the camp engulfed in flames, desperate residents, including many children, scrambling to find safety amid the chaos, and rescuers pulling burned bodies from the ruins.
"Several civilians are still trapped inside the camp, which was attacked without warning," a Palestinian man filming the disaster said. "This was declared a safe zone."
The attack came days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to "immediately halt" its military actions in Rafah to avoid inflicting conditions that could lead to the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
In its defense, the IDF announced that the strike targeted "a compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating." The IDF argued that it used a precision munition to target a Hamas installation operation that resulted in the deaths of two senior militants. But then, the explosion ignited a nearby fuel tank, which in turn led to a devastating fire at the camp.
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Netanyahu echoed the statement and admitted during his speech at the Israeli Knesset on May 27 that the attack had gone tragically wrong.
"Despite our best effort not to harm those not involved, unfortunately, a tragic error happened last night," Netanyahu said. (Related: Netanyahu's war cabinet gives in to pressure from families of female soldiers captured by Hamas, decides to resume truce talks with militant group.)
International community mocks Israel as it claims to "investigate the tragic error" of its attack
During his speech, Netanyahu stated that the IDF General Staff's Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism is currently investigating the incident.
Chief Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, an officer for the top legal office of the IDF, stated the same at an Israeli lawyers' conference. Tomer-Yerushalmi said that while such incidents happen "in a war of such scope and intensity," the Israeli government still initiated 70 criminal investigations into incidents raising suspicions of international law violations. She added that cases of "violence, property crimes and looting" were also under review.
Israel has consistently claimed that its independent judiciary is capable of investigating and prosecuting abuses. However, human rights groups argue that Israeli authorities frequently fail to thoroughly investigate violence against Palestinians and that, even when soldiers are held accountable, the penalties are typically lenient.
In turn, the incident led to more international outrage and renewed cries for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
"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 ceasefire," President Emmanuel Macron posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto echoed the statement on SKY TG24. He said that bombings like the latest incident will have long-standing repercussions for Israel: "Israel, with this choice, is spreading hatred, rooting hatred that will involve their children and grandchildren. I would have preferred another decision."
Follow IsraelCollapse.com for more news about Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.
Watch the video below about Israel amassing dozens of tanks and armored vehicles in what appears to be preparations for an invasion of Rafah.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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