There were 22 deaths in Rafah, a city south of the Gaza Strip, this Sunday (5). Three are Israeli soldiers who died after being hit by a missile from the terrorist group Hamas, the others were reportedly the target of Israeli fire.
The missile hit the Vinhedo da Paz (Kerem Shalom) crossing, on the borders between Israel, Gaza and Egypt.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) counted 10 projectiles launched over the crossing from Rafah, a city where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering. The crossing, which is used by trucks carrying humanitarian aid, is now closed, the IDF said. There are other passages open, however.
According to the agency Reuters, Palestinian doctors accused Israel of hitting a house with the airstrike, killing three people and injuring “many others”. Israel confirms the retaliation, but says that the target was military and that it was from there that missiles were being launched.
“It is a clear example of the terrorist organization’s systematic exploitation of humanitarian spaces and dependencies, and its continued use of the civilian population of Gaza as human shields,” the IDF stated. Hamas denies this accusation.
Hamas health officials said an Israeli airstrike killed nine Palestinians, including a baby, in another Rafah house. This report is included in the count of 19 dead on the Palestinian side.
The exchange of fire in the war in Rafah is likely to undermine the success of ceasefire talks between the parties in Cairo.
