Deadly air strike

Netanyahu speaks of “tragic mistake”

These Palestinian women and children are mourning their loved ones.(Bild: APA/AFP/Eyad BABA)

According to Israeli media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Israel's deadly airstrike in Rafah as a "tragic mistake". The tragedy occurred despite Israel's efforts to prevent harm to civilians, Netanyahu said in parliament on Monday evening.

According to reports, the Israeli bombardment over the weekend also hit tents of internally displaced persons. There is talk of at least 45 deaths. The Israeli military spoke of an attack on an Islamist Hamas compound. Important Hamas members had been killed. Videos circulated on social media showing bodies being recovered from burning tents.

According to Israeli sources, the attack targeted members of Hamas. However, many civilians were among the dead.(Bild: APA/AP)

UN: "Images from the camp are horrific"
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed his shock at the killing of displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the Gaza Strip. "The images from the camp are horrific," said the Austrian UN diplomat in Geneva on Monday. Israel had apparently not changed its conduct of the war, which had already led to many civilian deaths, Türk criticized.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a "tragic mistake", but continued the offensive in Rafah.(Bild: AP)

It was "shockingly clear that this was a completely predictable outcome when an area so densely populated with civilians is attacked", said Türk. He called on Israel to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and end the military operation in Rafah immediately. Similar or even harsher tones were heard from several Arab states. Israel's "deliberate bombing of the refugees' tents" constituted a "new and blatant violation of international law", criticized the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday morning. Jordan strongly condemned the "blatant disregard for the decision of the International Court of Justice". 

Arab states are furious
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry condemned the "attacks on defenceless civilians in the Gaza Strip in the strongest terms". The influential Gulf state categorically rejected Israel's "ongoing flagrant violations" of all international resolutions. Similarly harsh words came from neighboring Kuwait. The foreign ministry there also condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also sharply criticized the attack, calling it a "massacre" and Israel a "terrorist state". The mediating state of Qatar expressed concern that the attack could hinder efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war. The Foreign Ministry in Doha called on the international community to take urgent measures to prevent the "crime of genocide". Similarly harsh words came from Kuwait. The foreign ministry there condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms. Meanwhile, the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas suspended its participation in the negotiations on a ceasefire for the time being. 

Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again called Israel a "terrorist state".(Bild: APA/AFP/Adem ALTAN)

EU foreign policy chief and Macron call for immediate ceasefire
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell called for the implementation of the latest ruling by the International Court of Justice to halt the Israeli offensive in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. "We must not only show respect, but also demand the implementation of the court's decision," said Borrell on Monday before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. It was "really a dilemma as to how the international community (...) could force the implementation of the decision".

France's head of state Emmanuel Macron also reacted with outrage at Israel. "These operations must stop," Macron wrote on X. "There are no safe zones for Palestinian civilians in Rafah." He called for an immediate ceasefire and full compliance with international law.