May 29, 2024
Grisly images have emerged online after an Israeli strike on a tent encampment apparently ignited a fire that killed multiple Palestinian refugees.
The world is reacting to scenes of chaos and desperation that ensued after an Israeli strike on a displaced persons camp near the Gazan city of Rafah Sunday killed at least 40 people and injured dozens more.
The most outraged responses came from Global South nations, with Arab League members noting the attack demonstrated flagrant defiance of last week’s International Court of Justice ruling calling on Israel to cease operations in the Palestinian city.
“We will do everything possible to hold these barbarians and murderers accountable,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has adopted an increasingly strident tone after announcing he would halt all trade with Tel Aviv earlier this month.
Western countries have been divided in their response, with French President Emmanuel Macron claiming he was “outraged” over the incident but White House spokesperson John Kirby expressing faith in Israel’s investigation into the “mishap.”
“We have to remember that this area, Rafah in Gaza, is an area that the Palestinians were told they’ll be safe,” noted journalist Robert Fantina on Sputnik’s The Final Countdown program Tuesday. “So they’re overcrowded to an unbelievable extent. Like 800,000 people in Rafah alone. It’s tripled or quadrupled from its original size.”
“They are without food, water, medication, sanitary facilities, and they were supposed to be safe there,” the author continued. “So with the IDF saying, ‘oh, this is a mistake, we were supposed to hit point A and a fire happened at point B’ – well, when you have tens of thousands of tents and people crowded in just the most densely populated area of the world and then you start bombing… a lot of innocent people are going to die – men, women and children.”
US President Joe Biden had previously suggested an Israeli invasion of Rafah would constitute a “red line.” The White House briefly placed a hold on the provision of some heavy bombs to the country earlier this month out of purported concern over mass civilian casualties.
But the president seemingly changed course just a week later, announcing a new $1.25 billion arms package for Israel after bipartisan criticism from members of Congress.
Netizens were shocked by images from the hellish scene that emerged in the aftermath of Israel’s attack Sunday as a fire raged across the tent encampment.
The scenes from Rafah overnight are horrific,” wrote British commentator Piers Morgan, who has consistently backed Israel amid its seven-month-long operation in Gaza. “’I’ve defended Israel’s right to defend itself after Oct7, but slaughtering so many innocent people as they cower in a refugee camp is indefensible. Stop this now @netanyahu.”
“We’re seeing these horrific pictures of headless, burned babies. These are not things that are an accident,” said Fantina.
“They’re continuing the bombing campaign, they’re saying they’re going to investigate this. And you have to remember, they’re always investigating their own crimes and finding that they were not guilty of them. This doesn’t fly on the international stage anymore. It had for the longest time because the United States has allowed it, enabled it, but those days, I think, are gone.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the incident a “tragic mishap,” saying a “precision munition” ignited a fuel tank in the Palestinian encampment.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized the attack on the X social media platform, writing, “I condemn Israel’s actions which killed scores of innocent civilians who were only seeking shelter from this deadly conflict.”
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