Israeli strikes on Rafah tent camps kill 25 Palestinians, wound 50 others

At least 25 Palestinians were killed and 50 others injured on Friday when Israeli forces shelled tents housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area in western Rafah, southern Gaza.

In a statement, the Health Ministry in Gaza reported that the death toll from the Israeli attack on tents in Al-Mawasi had risen to 25, with 50 others injured.

Earlier, medical sources told Anadolu that rescue teams recovered the bodies of 18 victims and treated 35 injured people after Israeli tanks targeted the displaced persons' camp.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed the incident, noting that its medical teams were “handling a large number of casualties following the Israeli shelling in the area."

Witnesses reported to Anadolu that two Israeli Merkava tanks positioned on a hill opposite the Shakoush area in western Rafah fired artillery shells at a gathering of displaced people near the gate of the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital, resulting in multiple casualties.

Ambulances rushed to the scene to transport the dead and injured to field hospitals, and rescue operations are ongoing.

The shelling caused tents to catch fire, spreading fear and panic among the displaced people. Witnesses described a significant exodus from the tents toward Khan Younis in the north.

The Israeli army had directed Palestinian displaced persons to gather in the Al-Mawasi coastal strip, claiming it to be a “safe zone.” This area spans 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) along the Mediterranean coast and extends one kilometer inland.

The Al-Mawasi region lacks residential infrastructure, including sewage systems, electricity lines, and communication networks. Most of the land is divided into agricultural greenhouses or sandy expanses.

Displaced people living in the area face dire conditions, with severe shortages of basic resources such as water, sanitation, medical care, and food.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution that demandied an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis.

The Palestinian death toll from relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since last October has exceeded 37,400, according to the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave.

More than 85,600 people have also been injured in the onslaught, the ministry added.