Rafah strikes decried as Netanyahu admits 'mistake'

RAFAH/CAIRO — Israel faced a wave of international condemnation on Monday over airstrikes on tents housing displaced civilians in northwestern Rafah of the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the deaths of at least 45 Palestinians and injuries to numerous others.

The attack on Sunday evening targeted tents in a newly-established camp for the displaced civilians in the southernmost Gazan city, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. Local security sources said the area was supposed to be safe based on the classification by the Israeli army.

In response to the attack, Hamas informed mediators that it will not participate in any negotiation for a cease-fire in Gaza or a prisoner exchange deal, a source in the movement said on Monday.

Israel's military said it launched an investigation into the incident, which was trenchantly criticized by several nations and organizations.

Israeli tanks reached the center of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday. The tanks were spotted near Al-Awda mosque, a central Rafah landmark, Reuters reported.

Dozens were reportedly killed on Tuesday in Israeli bombardments in the Al-Mawasi area in Rafah.

The UN Security Council called an emergency meeting on the Rafah strike and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned what he called an attack that "killed scores of innocent civilians who were only seeking shelter from this deadly conflict".

"There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop," Guterres added in a social media post. Other UN officials called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, "Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake."

Sunday attack, which appeared to be one of the war's deadliest, helped push the Palestinian death toll in the conflict to at least 36,096, according to the Gaza Health Ministry on Tuesday. About 1,200 people were killed in Hamas' Oct 7 attack in Israel, according to Israeli figures.

International criticism

The strike added to the surging international criticism Israel has faced in the Gaza conflict. Israel insists it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the world's top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt the offensive in Rafah.

China said on Tuesday it is seriously concerned by Israel's military operations against Rafah, and "strongly" calls on Israel to stop attacking the area.

"China is opposed to any action that violates international law, including international humanitarian law," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, urging all parties involved to protect civilians and civilian facilities.

Noting that last week the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah, Mao said the order reflects the international community's urgent hope for a cease-fire, and that the order should be implemented as soon as possible.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was "horrified by the news coming out of Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of displaced persons, including small children".

Meanwhile, about 10,000 people took part in a demonstration near the Israeli embassy in Paris on Monday against Israel's shelling of Rafah.

The attack prompted a wave of condemnation, with Palestinians and many Arab countries calling it a "massacre".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called the deadly strike in Rafah a "massacre".

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation said that "the attack was a crime against humanity and systemized state terrorism requiring accountability by international criminal law".

Wang Qingyun in Beijing contributed to this story.

Agencies - Xinhua