Hamas has issued a sharp accusation against Israel, saying that the actions during the latest military operation in Rafah amount to massacres of unarmed civilians. The southern Gaza Strip, home to more than a million displaced residents, was the scene of a rescue operation this morning aimed at recovering two Israeli hostages. The incident underscores the ongoing volatility in the area and the dire humanitarian conditions faced by those who have fled and remained in Rafah.
According to Hamas, the night-time assault by what it terms the occupying forces resulted in the deaths of numerous civilians in Rafah, including displaced families, elderly residents, and women and children. The group characterized the events as a continuation of what it describes as genocide and forced displacement aimed at the Palestinian population, releasing a statement that emphasizes the alleged scale of casualties and the suffering inflicted on civilians.
Earlier, Palestinian medical officials indicated that the death toll from the operation stood at around fifty, with the total potentially rising as rescue teams continued their work and as information remained fluid in the hours after the bombardment. Emergency personnel reported recovering bodies from the rubble amid a heavy air assault, highlighting the severe material destruction and the ongoing risk to those still in affected neighborhoods. [attribution: local health authorities] [citation: on-the-ground reporting by regional medical services]