The deadly fire that broke out in Rafah on Sunday night following an Israeli airstrike outside a designated “humanitarian zone” may have been caused by a secondary explosion of Hamas munitions near a civilian safety zone, the Israeli military said.
The strike killed several senior Hamas officials and drew international condemnation for apparent civilian casualties, but Israel said it had carried out careful preparations and followed international law in launching precision strikes and that no widespread damage was expected.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are currently investigating whether the deadly fire that broke out after an airstrike on a housing complex for displaced Gaza residents in Rafah may have been caused by a secondary explosion of Hamas munitions or other flammable materials stored near the precise target of an airstrike against a senior Hamas terrorist, IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said, revealing details about the incident during an English-language press conference on Tuesday.
Facts about the IDF attack in Rafah:
🔴 The Israel Defense Forces targeted two senior Hamas terrorists who they had tracked via aerial surveillance to a Hamas compound in Rafah.🔴 The IDF confirmed that there were no women or children on the compound before the attack.
🔴 The strike happened more than a mile away… pic.twitter.com/aY7HeldJKo
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) May 28, 2024
Hagari explained that the Israel Defense Forces carried out an attack targeting Hamas senior terrorists in Rafah based on accurate intelligence, but an unintentional fire started, killing 45 civilians. He stressed that the attack took place away from humanitarian aid areas, explosives were kept to a minimum, and that it was suspected that Hamas weapons stored nearby exploded, and that the cause of the fire was under investigation.
“Signals intelligence intercepted several phone calls which confirmed these concerns and raised the possibility that weapons stored at a nearby facility may have ignited,” he said, playing a recorded call in which Gaza residents discussed the explosion.
🚨 BREAKING – Important updates on the Rafah attack:
The IDF released a recorded phone call between two Gaza residents that describes how Hamas had stored ammunition near the site of the IDF attack that started the fire in Rafah.
>>>> pic.twitter.com/4kaj1hRkIU— Yaari Cohen (@YaariCohen) May 28, 2024
Haghari promised a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident, vowing to conduct a “prompt, comprehensive and transparent” investigation.
According to reports, the IDF fired two 17-kilogram shells at senior Hamas terrorists in Rafah on Sunday night, but the shells were too small to start a fire on their own.
Intelligence reports said the airstrike targeted senior Hamas commanders Yasin Rabiya and Khaled Nagar, both of whom had been involved in previous deadly attacks against Israel and were planning further attacks.
“Contrary to reports, we carried out the attack outside the areas that we have designated as humanitarian zones and where we have called for civilians to evacuate. Our attack took place more than 1.5 kilometers away from the Al-Mawasi humanitarian area, which we call a safe zone,” Haghari said.
He highlighted steps taken to avoid civilian casualties, detailing measures taken before the attack, including “aerial surveillance, the use of specific weapons to minimize collateral damage, delaying the attack to further assess the expected civilian presence, and other measures.”
He also said the military was “investigating all possibilities, including the possibility that the attack may have resulted in the ignition of weapons stored at a facility next to the target.”
“It is noteworthy that Hamas has been active in the area since October 7,” he added.
According to Palestinian sources, #WestCoast leadership #Hamaswas killed in the attack #Rapha today’s evening.
Rabia, who was given two life sentences, #Gaza As part of the 2011 Shalit prisoner deal. 2018, (1/4) pic.twitter.com/AI7vM28Yux— AbuAliEnglish (@AbuAliEnglishB1) May 26, 2024
Palestinian sources initially Claimed 50 people were killed, including civilians.
The Palestinians reported heavy casualties in the attack (27 according to Al Jazeera). #IDF Attack #UNRWA West Complex #RaphaNear the refugee tents. pic.twitter.com/WClyxXdsuv
— AbuAliEnglish (@AbuAliEnglishB1) May 26, 2024
The Israel Defense Forces released a statement about the airstrike.
Earlier this evening, in an airstrike conducted by the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli intelligence services, an Israeli Air Force aircraft killed terrorist Yasin Rabiya, a commander in the Hamas leadership in Judea and Samaria, and Khaled Nagar, a senior member of Hamas’ Judea and Samaria branch.
The attack was carried out based on precise intelligence in the Tal as-Sultan area, northwest of Rafah.
Hamas’ Judea and Samaria branch is responsible for planning, financing and carrying out terrorist attacks throughout Judea and Samaria and inside Israel.
Terrorist Yassin Rabiya managed all of Hamas’ terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria, transferred funds to terrorist targets, and planned Hamas terrorist attacks throughout Judea and Samaria.
Rabiya has carried out a number of deadly terrorist attacks in the past, including in 2001 and 2002, in which Israel Defense Force soldiers were killed.
Terrorist Khaled Nagar was a senior member of Hamas’ Judea and Samaria headquarters, directing shootings and other terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria, and transferring funds for Hamas’ terrorist activities in the Gaza Strip. Khaled Nagar carried out several deadly terrorist attacks between 2001 and 2003, resulting in the deaths of several Israeli civilians and the injury or death of several Israeli soldiers.
The IDF is aware of reports that the attack and fire injured several civilians in the area. The incident is currently under investigation.
The IDF expressed regret over “the infliction of casualties on non-combatants during the conflict” and said the airstrikes were aimed at legitimate locations, based on accurate intelligence indicating that Hamas was using the area. Amid reports of civilian casualties, including women and children, the IDF Announced The prosecutor will investigate the case.
The large number of civilian deaths was caused by Hamas commanders operating near Palestinian refugee camps. According to reports, the facility belongs to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Some Israeli media outlets have warned that the Biden administration will oppose Israel’s actions. International Court of Justice (ICJ) Verdict Protests against Israeli attacks in the region.
This issue is face The Rafah airstrikes reportedly killed dozens of civilians in a displaced persons camp, sparking continued international criticism with the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and other international organisations accusing them of deliberately targeting non-combatants.
Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Hamas’ co-founder and who has become an outspoken critic of the terror group, said global outrage over the civilian casualties in Rafah ignores the deeper issue of justifying Hamas’ actions and fails to recognize the consequences of opposing Israel.
World outraged at civilian casualties in Rafah!
Really? What did they expect?They have justified Hamas’s misdeeds, dehumanized the hostages, rationalized the perpetrators, and blamed the victims.
This unconscious, arrogant, righteous generation…
— Mosab Hassan Yousef (@MosabHasanYOSEF) May 28, 2024
Hamas is known to use civilians as “human shields” in an attempt to deter Israel from attacks on its leaders and infrastructure by triggering an international diplomatic backlash.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter. Joshua Klein.
