Al Jazeera’s Hind Khudari reported on Tuesday that 13 of the 21 people killed in Israeli air strikes on the so-called “safe zone” of al-Mawasi were civilian women and girls.
This was the second attack since Sunday, after a shelter for displaced people was set on fire in a horrific attack on Sunday night, not far from Tuesday’s attack.
On Monday, the world watched in shock as displaced Palestinians were forced to dig through smoldering ruins with their bare hands – searching for bodies, the wounded or, in some cases, a few scraps of food they could save to keep their families going just a little longer.
According to reports detailing what happened on Tuesday, here are the details of Sunday’s attack:
When and where did this attack take place?
This attack took place on the night of 26 May.
The attack was carried out on a camp of temporary shelters in an area called Tal-as-Sultan, just north of the city of Rafah.
The statement came after US President Joe Biden said a “major attack” on Rafah by Israel would be a red line.
What happened in the attack?
Several shelters caught fire while their residents were still inside.
The Gaza government media office said Israel dropped seven 900-kilogram (2,000-pound) bombs and missiles on the displacement camp.
The Israeli military said it targeted Rafah with “precision weapons”, and that a nearby fuel tank caught fire.
Horrific videos subsequently emerged – the most notable being a man carrying the body of a headless young child.
Al Jazeera’s Sanad Verification Agency has obtained photographs of fragments of the weapons used in the attack. The photographs obtained by the agency show the tail of the GBU-39/B small diameter bomb, which is manufactured by Boeing. The GBU-39/B includes a jet engine taken from the M26 unguided missile.
Who were the people killed?
Thousands of civilians were taking refuge in the Tal-as-Sultan area in search of minimal safety from the continued Israeli attacks on Gaza.
The Israeli government had not issued any orders to evacuate the area before the attack.
how many people died?
At least 45 Israelis were killed in this attack.
The total number of injured is difficult to determine, as the hospital where the casualties were taken has been closed following an Israeli drone attack on its entrance that killed two staff members.
How did he die?
Some people died due to the impact of the bomb.
Some people were “reportedly burned to death”, according to Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
What were they doing when they died?
According to information received from Rafah, many of the deceased were getting ready to sleep when the attack took place.
Why is Israel doing this?
Initially, the Israeli military claimed it had “strike a Hamas compound in Rafah, which housed key Hamas militants.”
It said it was “aware of reports that a number of civilians in the area have been affected as a result of the attack and gunfire.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was “a tragic mistake”.
“Despite our best efforts not to harm anyone not involved in the incident, unfortunately a tragic mistake occurred last night. We are investigating the matter,” Netanyahu said.
The attack came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is set to hold an emergency meeting over the attack on Rafah.
To date, the United States has vetoed every United Nations Security Council resolution aimed at holding Israel accountable.
