Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the bombing of a Palestinian camp in Rafah a “tragic mistake” amid condemnation for the deaths of an estimated 45 Palestinians in the incident.
“Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night, there was a tragic mistake,” Netanyahu said, according to The Associated Press. “We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy.”
Despite the response, Israel still felt the brunt of international condemnation.
“There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians,” French President Emmanuel Macron said, according to The New York Times. He called for “full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire.”
The Times quoted the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry as saying 45 people were killed and 240 people were wounded.
The Biden administration called images of the strike “devastating,” according to the Times of Israel.
“Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians, but, as we’ve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians,” a National Security Council representative said.
“We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened,” the spokesperson adds.
The Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza’s Rafah overnight, targeting two senior Hamas officials but also reportedly killing dozens of Palestinian civilians, will be probed by the top-tier General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism, the military announces.
The mechanism is an… pic.twitter.com/wIgCVNuI9e
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Despite offering an apology for the mistake in Rafah, Netanyahu said Israel will not stop fighting, according to the Times of Israel.
“Those who say they are not ready to stand up to the pressure, raise the flag of defeat; I won’t raise any such flag, I will keep fighting until the flag of victory is raised,” he said.
“I don’t intend to end the war before every goal has been achieved. If we give in, the massacre will return. If we give in, we will give a huge win to terror, to Iran,” he said.
While saying the deaths of civilians was a mistake, Netanyahu said, “For us it’s a tragedy, for Hamas it’s a strategy.”
On Sunday, Hamas sent rockets from Rafah into central Israel, without causing any injuries, according to AP.
It was also reported that an Egyptian soldier was killed along the border with Gaza, but the circumstances of the incident were unclear Monday.
