In a dramatic escalation of violence, an Israeli airstrike has killed at least 35 people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Palestinian medics reported. The strike targeted tents housing displaced individuals hours after Hamas launched rockets at Tel Aviv for the first time in months.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the strike was aimed at a Hamas installation, stating it had eliminated the group’s chief of staff for the West Bank and another senior official linked to deadly attacks on Israelis. The IDF acknowledged reports of civilian casualties resulting from the strike and ensuing fire, noting that the incident is under review.
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Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, visiting Rafah on Sunday, received a briefing on the ongoing operations. His office highlighted the “deepening of operations” in the area.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society warned that the death toll might rise as search and rescue operations continued in Rafah’s Tal al-Sultan neighborhood. “Numerous individuals remain trapped under the flames and in the tents destroyed by the bombardment,” a spokesperson said. The organization emphasized that the strike targeted a location designated by Israel as a humanitarian area, where citizens had been coerced to evacuate.
The Red Cross reported an influx of casualties to its field hospital in Rafah, with other local hospitals also overwhelmed by the injured.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri condemned the attack as a “massacre” and blamed the United States for providing Israel with weapons and financial support.
This escalation followed a salvo of eight rockets fired from Rafah at Tel Aviv, the first such attack in months. The IDF reported that most rockets were intercepted, though two women sustained minor injuries while seeking shelter. The attack disrupted flights at Ben Gurion Airport, causing delays and cancellations.
Hamas’s military wing claimed the rocket attack was retaliation for “Zionist massacres against civilians.” Earlier on Sunday, Israeli airstrikes in Rafah killed at least five Palestinians, according to first responders.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and war cabinet member Benny Gantz both called for continued military action against Hamas. On Sunday, the IDF denied reports of an Israeli soldier being abducted by Hamas, dismissing unverified video footage showing Palestinian fighters dragging an unconscious soldier through a tunnel.
Despite a recent UN order to halt the assault on Rafah, Israel has intensified its offensive in the southern Gaza Strip. Nearly half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents had sought refuge in Rafah before the offensive began, driven by ongoing conflict in other parts of the territory.
Humanitarian conditions have worsened as aid deliveries have stalled, with the Rafah border crossing and nearby Kerem Shalom goods crossing effectively blocked by the fighting. Efforts to broker a truce have repeatedly failed, with recent talks mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar stalling.
The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s surprise assault on October 7 that killed around 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage, has resulted in nearly 36,000 deaths in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials.
Amid international concern over the humanitarian crisis, US intelligence officials met with Israeli and Qatari delegations in Paris to revive negotiations, though Hamas downplayed reports of progress, stating they had not received any updates on the resumption of talks.
