The Israeli military has stated that an initial investigation into a strike that resulted in a deadly fire in a tent camp in Rafah, southern Gaza, indicates the blaze was caused by a secondary explosion. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, reported on Tuesday that the military had fired two 17-kg munitions targeting two senior Hamas militants. He explained that these munitions were too small to ignite a fire on their own, suggesting that weapons stored in the area could have caused the secondary explosion. The strike on Sunday resulted in at least 45 deaths, with around half of the victims being women and children. The fire may have been fueled by ignited fuel, cooking gas canisters, or other materials within the densely populated camp.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, even among Israel’s closest allies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the event as a tragic mishap. Further strikes in the western Tel al-Sultan district of Rafah on Tuesday resulted in at least 16 more Palestinian deaths, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence and the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The residents have reported increased fighting in Rafah, previously considered a last refuge in the region. An Israeli incursion that began in early May has displaced nearly 1 million people from Rafah, most of whom were already displaced by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, forcing them into squalid tent camps and other war-ravaged areas.
