Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on May 28th clarified on the Rafah attack. In the briefing, Hagari recognized the incident and said that unfortunately a fire ignited in the area unexpectedly.
Hagari justified the attacks for the elimination of Hamas terrorists who were meeting on that location. “These terrorists were responsible for the deaths of Israelis and they were actively commanding operations that could have killed even more. Their deaths saved lives,” Hagari said.
“Despite our efforts to minimize civilian casualties during the strike, the fire that broke out was unexpected and unintended…Our investigation seeks to determine what may have caused such a large fire to ignite.“
Watch the full statement by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel… pic.twitter.com/fzaRSnpgbE
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 28, 2024
IDF spokesperson’s response
The spokesperson Hagari said that the attack was precise intelligence against the terrorist. The spokesperson said that they made all efforts to minimize casualties but unfortunately the fire broke out.
The spokesperson said that the place they targeted had no tents near by and they only targeted a close structure where the terrorists was meeting. The IDF also shared the ariel view of the attack and precision identification.
Many reports are claiming that the Israelis’ attacked in humanitarian area while the IDF debunked these claims and said, “contrary to reports, we conducted the strike outside the area that we designated as a humanitarian area and called civilians to evacuate to. Our strike was over a kilometer and a half away from the Al-Mawasi humanitarian area. What we call the safer zone.”
Hagari claimed that they used small warheads for targeted attacks and those munitions aren’t capable of igniting a large fire. The strike was conducted using two munitions with small warheads with 17 kilos of explosive material suited for this targeted strike.
Hagari raised the possibility of weapon storage as the area is a Hamas hotspot from where they launched rockets earlier. They also intercepted some phone calls in the area reinforcing their concern.
“We took a number of steps prior to the strike to avoid civilian casualties: aerial surveillance from above, using specific munitions aimed at minimizing collateral damage, delaying the attack in order to further assess expected civilian presence, and other means.”
“This incident is being investigated by the General Staff’s Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism, an independent and professional body, that is investigating the circumstances of those killed in the area of the strike,” He added.
The IDF is verifying footages from the area to find the real reason behind the attack.
What ignited the fire is still unclear.
The Rafah Uproar
The uproar started on internet when the news came out of Israeli strikes in Rafah which led to the death of many kids and people burnt in the fire. the news said that At least 45 people, including children, were killed at a refugee camp in Gaza‘s Rafah after an Israeli air strike. The incident, coming just days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its operation in Rafah.
Internet was outrages where many influencers and famous personalities calling for attention to the Rafah crisis. The international community and head of several states also raised concern on the ongoing attack.
Outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah.
These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians.
I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 27, 2024
All eyes on Rafah‘ is a phrase that refers to the ongoing genocide in this Gaza city. The phrase is trending on social media as global support poured in for the Palestinians affected by the Israeli strikes.
Several celebrities have shared support messages with the hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah.
