A deadly airstrike at a displacement camp in Rafah’s Tal al Sultan district killed at least 50 people in the early hours, according to confirmations from the Israeli military. The attack targeted two senior Hamas figures and occurred in the northwest part of Rafah, a region already hosting hundreds of displaced residents.
The Palestinian health authorities in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, called the incident an atrocity, reporting that the strike left 50 martyrs and dozens of wounded, many of them women and children. The remarks underscored the humanitarian toll of the bombardment on civilians sheltering in makeshift tents near the city.
Israel’s military later verified an air campaign in the Tal al Sultan area, stating that the operation drew on precise intelligence and aimed at two Hamas leaders, the commander of Hamas’ division in the West Bank, Yassin Rabia, and another senior commander within the same unit. The brief notice framed the raid as part of ongoing efforts against Hamas leadership and infrastructure.
A military statement described Hamas’ branch in Judea and Samaria as responsible for planning, financing, and executing terrorist attacks across the West Bank and within Israel, noting that the Tal al Sultan camp had not yet been evacuated by Israeli forces and housed hundreds of displaced people.
Footage circulating on Palestinian social networks showed a large blaze consuming provisional tents in Tal al Sultan as the airstrike unfolded, highlighting the visible damage caused by the raid.
The army stressed that information indicated several civilians had been wounded as a result of the attack and the ensuing fires, adding that the incident was under review as investigators examined the circumstances and the fallout on the ground.
According to Israeli sources, Yassin Rabia previously oversaw Hamas’ terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria, transferring funds to terrorist targets and planning attacks abroad and inside Israel. Historical statements referenced past operations during the Second Intifada, including years 2001 and 2002, which had claimed Israeli military lives.
Similarly, Nagar was described as directing shootings and other terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria, funneling funds to Hamas’ operations in Gaza. Palestinian officials cited past deadly attacks in the early 2000s attributed to these actors, underscoring a long history of violence linked to the individuals named in the briefing.
Human rights concerns were echoed by Gaza’s health authorities and other observers who warned that the current bombardment represents a stark instance of mass casualty harm, stressing that the population in Gaza faces deprivation of essential resources such as water, food, medicine, electricity, and fuel, while critical infrastructure and public institutions are severely damaged.
According to the Gaza health services, the past 24 hours have seen a large number of fatalities, including victims in the so-called safe zones around Rafah, further illustrating the alarming scale of civilian losses in this round of violence.
The Rafah strike occurred hours after Hamas fired eight rockets from the same area toward central Israel, including Tel Aviv, marking the first time in several months that such a volley was launched. The projectiles did not cause major damage or injuries, but the timing of the incident added to the sense of escalation in the region.
In a parallel response, Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority President, condemned what he described as a deliberate attack by the occupying army on displaced civilians in Rafah, calling it a massacre that surpasses all limits and demands urgent international action to halt the crimes against the Palestinian people.
Across the West Bank, protests erupted in multiple cities, with demonstrators gathering in flashpoints like Jenin and Tulkarem to denounce the assault and show solidarity with those affected in Rafah.