The Israeli military stated it targeted two senior Hamas leaders in Rafah and is reviewing the incident, which has sparked international condemnation.
Late Sunday, an Israeli airstrike in Rafah killed dozens of people, hitting an area where displaced civilians were sheltering in tents and igniting a fire that spread across the camp, according to local officials.
Images showed the area engulfed in flames as Palestinians fled in panic, with some videos on social media depicting disturbing scenes, including severely burned bodies and a man holding what appeared to be the headless body of a small child.
World leaders condemned the strike just days after the United Nations' top court ordered Israel to halt its offensive on the southern Gaza city, where more than a million people had sought refuge.
Qatar warned that the incident could hinder efforts to reach a cease-fire deal, while Israel's military prosecutor described it as a "very difficult" incident under investigation. The Israel Defense Forces stated that they had targeted two senior Hamas leaders and would review reports of fire spreading to civilian areas.
Adding to the tensions, the IDF reported a "shooting incident on the Egyptian border" on Monday, saying the incident was under review and discussions were being held with Egyptian authorities. Rafah is located on Gaza's southern border with Egypt.
NBC News could not independently verify the situation on the ground.
The Gaza health ministry reported that at least 35 people were killed in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, most of them women and children. First responders warned the casualty count could rise as many people were trapped in the flames that erupted following the bombardment.
By Monday, the ministry reported the death toll had risen to at least 45 people.
"This massacre is the largest in the city of Rafah in months," Muhammad Al-Mughir, spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense in Rafah, told NBC News. He emphasized that the targeted area was a designated "humanitarian area" near U.N. warehouses.
Samuel Johann, the emergency coordinator in Gaza for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), stated that Sunday’s strike occurred just under a mile from an MSF stabilization point for trauma patients. He reported that the facility received dozens of people, with at least 28 already dead and 180 injured.
One family recounted their harrowing escape after the apartment building they were sheltering in appeared to be hit.
"Suddenly, windows shattered," Hala Siam told NBC News' crew on the ground. "The children were terrified. We all ran out into the street."
"They said it was safe," Siam said of the area where she and her family were sheltering. "There is no safe place in Rafah."
The IDF stated that its strike targeted two Hamas leaders responsible for organizing terrorist attacks in the occupied West Bank. The IDF acknowledged reports that civilian tents were ignited during the strike and that the incident was "under review."
“The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law," the IDF said in a statement, adding that it used "precise munitions" based on "precise intelligence indicating Hamas’ use of the area."
The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it targeted an area designated as a safe zone.
Israel's top military prosecutor described the incident as "very difficult" and noted that an investigation was underway.
“The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians during the war,” Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi told a conference hosted by the Israel Bar Association.
In a statement, Hamas described the strike as a horrific "massacre." It did not confirm the death of the commander or senior leader.
Earlier Sunday, Hamas' military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced a missile barrage into Israel targeting Tel Aviv, the first in many weeks. The IDF reported that eight projectiles were identified crossing from the Rafah area into Israeli territory and that several had been intercepted.
As outrage mounted over Sunday's Rafah attack, mediators Qatar and Egypt condemned the assault as a violation of international law. Qatar, a key broker in talks with Hamas, warned that it could jeopardize efforts toward a truce deal that would secure the release of remaining hostages.
Following weekend discussions involving CIA Director William Burns in Paris, an Israeli official told NBC News that the Israeli government was hopeful negotiations might resume this week.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his outrage over the Israeli strikes that killed many displaced persons in Rafah, stating, "These operations must stop." The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, also condemned the strike, saying he was "horrified."
A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council said after Sunday's strike, “We’re aware of the reports and gathering more information.”
In a briefing last Wednesday ahead of the International Court of Justice ruling, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan noted that Israel's military operations appeared to have been "more targeted and limited."
President Joe Biden had warned that any full-scale assault on Rafah could lead to a suspension of certain weapons shipments.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced increasing scrutiny over the conduct of the war, which began after the Hamas-led attack on October 7. This attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the taking of 250 hostages, with officials estimating that 125 hostages remain captive in Gaza, and about a quarter of those are believed to be dead.
Over seven months of conflict, more than 35,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities. Aid groups have warned of catastrophic conditions for civilians, who lack access to food and clean water, raising the specter of famine in parts of the enclave. Read more..
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