CAIRO : Israeli air strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians and wounded over 100 in Rafah, Gaza. The strikes hit a displaced persons area in Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood.
Palestinian health and civil emergency officials provided the information. Dozens were killed and critically wounded in the strikes, they said.
Thousands had taken shelter in Tel Al-Sultan after fleeing eastern Rafah areas. Israeli ground forces began an offensive there over two weeks ago.
A Palestinian health official told Reuters over 100 were killed and wounded. Hamas media office director Ismail Al-Thawabta confirmed 30 deaths.
The Red Cross field hospital in Rafah was overwhelmed receiving casualties. Other hospitals also took in a large number of wounded patients.
Israel did not immediately comment on the strike. Medics said the final toll was unclear as many wounded were in critical condition.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri described the attack as a “massacre”. He held the U.S. responsible for providing weapons and funding to Israel.
One resident who fled to Kuwaiti hospital said, “Air strikes burnt the tents, melting the tents and people’s bodies.”
Earlier Sunday, Israeli authorities said militants fired 8 rockets from the Rafah area.. Israel kept up operations despite a U.N. court order Friday to stop attacks on Rafah.
Israel said it intercepted some of the rockets. The rockets from Gaza did not cause any reported Israeli casualties
Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades claimed the rockets responded to “Zionist massacres against civilians”.
On Sunday before the Rafah strike, Israeli attacks killed at least 5 other Palestinians in Rafah, per local medical services. Gaza’s health ministry identified them as civilians.
(REUTERS)
