Israel-Hamas war: Dozens reported dead in Rafah strike

• Palestinian health authorities reported at least 35 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike late Sunday 
• Israel's military said it 'struck a Hamas compound' in Rafah 
• EU foreign policy chief insists on implementation of ICJ ruling calling for halt of Rafah offensive
• Arab nations condemn airstrike​​​​​​

Here are the latest developments from the Israel-Hamas war and the wider Middle East region on Monday, May 27.

05/27/2024May 27, 2024

Israeli strike condemned by UNRWA, Arab nations

Several Arab nations have criticized the Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp on Sunday night, which has left at least 35 dead and scores injured, according to local authorities.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned the "deliberate bombing of displaced people's tents in the Palestinian city of Rafah" in what it called "a new and blatant violation of the provisions of international law."

Jordan and Kuwait decried what they called "war crimes" committed by Israel in Gaza and called for adherence to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling which ordered Israel to halt its current offensive in Rafah.

After the attack, people tried to put out flames at the camp near RafahImage: Mohammed Salem/REUTERS

Meanwhile, Qatar said the latest airstrike could jeopardize cease-fire talks, which Doha has been mediating.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemned the attack as a "grave violation of international laws that will aggravate the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Strip" and voiced "concern that the bombing will complicate ongoing mediation efforts and hinder reaching an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire."

UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, called the attack "horrifying" and cited reports of "mass casualties including children and women." It described Gaza as "hell on earth."

05/27/2024May 27, 2024

EU foreign policy chief laments Israel's ongoing Rafah offensive

Ahead of a  European Unionforeign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell insisted that last week's International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling ordering Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah should be respected and implemented.

"Israel continues the military action that it has been asked to stop," he said. "This is really a dilemma: how can the international community [...] enforce the implementation of the decisions of the International Court of Justice?"

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the ICJ ruling was "binding" and "must be respected."

Israel has dismissed Friday's ruling, which the ICJ has no means of actually enforcing.

05/27/2024May 27, 2024

At least 35 reported dead in Rafah strike

Smoldering debris seen Monday morning at a camp near RafahImage: Mohammed Salem/REUTERS

Dozens of people have been killed or injured overnight in an Israeli airstrike near the city of Rafah, in what local Hamas-run authorities have called a "massacre."

According to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, at least 35 people, predominantly women and children, were killed and dozens more injured. A senior official at Gaza's civil defense agency put the death toll at at least 40.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli rockets had struck a camp housing refugees who had already fled from other parts of the Gaza Strip.

The international medical aid group Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders or MSF) said: "We are horrified by this deadly event which shows once again that nowhere is safe."

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that its aircraft had "struck a Hamas compound in Rafah," saying it had used "precise munitions" to "eliminate" two senior Hamas figures named as Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar. It said the pair were "legitimate targets under international law" and said the attack was based on "precise intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area."

It added that it was "aware of reports indicating that, as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed" and said the incident is "under review."

The latest Israeli airstrike came 24 hours after Hamas aimed a barrage of rockets at Israel, all eight of which were reportedly intercepted or crashed in fields.

The strike also comes after the International Court of Justice ordered a halt to Israel's offensive in Rafah last week. 

mf/wmr (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)