Israeli Attack On Rafah Tent Camp Kills Forty-Five, Prompts Global Outcry

An Israeli airstrike triggered a massive blaze killing 45 people in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court order to halt the assault.

In scenes grimly familiar from a war in its eighth month, Palestinian families rushed to hospitals to prepare their dead for burial after the strike late on Sunday night set tents and rickety metal shelters ablaze.

Israel said initial investigations showed an attack against commanders of the Hamas militant group set off the fire. Survivors said families were preparing to sleep when the strike hit.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “outraged” over Israel’s latest attacks. Meanwhile, Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s foreign minister, and Josep Borrell, the European Union foreign policy chief said the International Court of Justice ruling must be respected.