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On 26 May 2024, the Israeli Air Force struck Tel al-Sultan, Rafah, setting fire to a Palestinian displacement camp. The attack killed between 45 and 50 Palestinians and injured over 200. The attack was the deadliest incident of the Rafah offensive.^[5]

When Israel invaded Rafah and ordered the evacuation of its east, some citizens fled to the west, including Tel Al-Sultan, seeking safety.^[2] One week before the bombing, Israel had designated the neighborhood as a "safe zone" and dropped leaflets instructing Palestinians to move there.^[6][7][8] Two days before the attack, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt the Rafah offensive,^[9] but Israel interpreted the order differently and continued its operations.^[10]

On that night, Israel struck the neighborhood with two U.S. made GBU-39 bombs.^[11] The strike ignited a fire in the "Kuwaiti Peace" tent camp, trapping and burning the civilians residing in it.^[12] Israel claimed the fire was accidentally started after a strike on a Hamas compound,^[13] but analysis of satellite images suggested Israel directly targeted the camp.^[14][15]

Images of the attack spread internationally, with them being described as "some of the worst" of the war.^[16] The attack received widespread condemnation, with some groups calling it a war crime and a massacre.^[4] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the incident was a "tragic mistake".^[17]

Background

After evacuation orders were issued by Israel during the Israel-Hamas war, many areas of Gaza became depopulated, with refugees primarily traveling to Rafah. Rafah became dense and overcrowded, with over 1.4 million civilians sheltering in the area.^[18] However, when Israel invaded the city, it ordered the eastern neighborhoods evacuated as well. An estimated 950,000 civilians fled, going to other parts of southern Gaza designated as safe, including western Rafah.^[19][2]

Two days before the attack, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to prevent genocidal actions in Rafah.^[20] The order was widely interpreted as obliging Israel to stop the Rafah offensive, and the European Union said Israel was violating the order by continuing.^[10][21] However, Israel interpreted the order as merely to comply with international law, not necessarily stop the offensive.^[10] The Euro-Med Monitor reported that in the 48 hours since the order was issued, Israel had launched over 60 airstrikes in the city.^[22]

The attack was noted to come shortly after Hamas launched rockets at Tel Aviv for the first time in months. The IDF said eight rockets were fired from the Rafah area and were intercepted.^[13]

Designation by Israel as a "safe zone"

Many sources reported that the area that Israel attacked had previously been designated by Israel as a "safe zone".^[23][6] CBC News showed pictures of Israeli leaflets that read:^[7]

For your safety, the Israeli Defence Force is asking you to leave these areas immediately and to go to known shelters in Deir el Balah or the humanitarian area in Tel al-Sultan through Beach Road. And don't blame us after we warned you.^[7]

NPR reported that Israeli leaflets urging civilians to evacuate to Tel al-Sultan had been dropped one week before the bombing.^[24] Witnesses speaking to Agence France Press confirmed they only came to Tel al-Sultan on instructions from IDF leaflets.^[25] Abed Mohammed Al-Attar, whose family would later be killed in the attack, said the Israeli forces had told residents that this area was a safe zone.^[23]

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) stated that the location had been designated by Israel as a "humanitarian area" and it was not included in areas that Israel's military ordered evacuated earlier this month.^[26][27]

Attack

On the night of 26 May, Israeli fighter jets reportedly struck the "Kuwaiti Peace" tent camp in Tel al-Sultan.^[28] The camp was noted to be 200 metres (660 ft) from the largest UNRWA humanitarian aid storage warehouse in the Gaza Strip.^[29][30][8]

A witness said that he heard an explosion, walked out of his house, and saw smoke in a nearby street.^[3] Survivors of the attack said it "burned people alive" and destroyed an entire block.^[4] The Palestine Red Crescent Society said civilians were trapped in the flames. A video verified by NBC News showed Palestinians screaming for help in tents "engulfed by flames" with civil defense crews attempting to stop the fire. Another video showed volunteers trying to save people, with others displaying burnt corpses, including one of a decapitated child.^[12] The attack was described as a massacre by multiple media outlets.^[b]

Israel stated it had targeted a Hamas compound and killed two senior Hamas commanders: the West Bank Chief of Staff Yassin Rabia and senior official Khaled Nagar, "in accordance with international law".^[4] Hamas confirmed the deaths of the two commanders.^[36] However, witnesses speaking to Mondoweiss and CNN said that no militants were found in the camp.^[37][38]

Following the attack, several aid organisations in this part of the city were forced to close their operations and move them to other parts of the Gaza Strip, including the Al Quds field hospital run by the Palestine Red Crescent Society, a clinic supported by Doctors Without Borders and kitchens run by the World Central Kitchen.^[39][40][41]

Casualties

The Gaza Health Ministry (GHM), stated the attack killed at least 45 people, and ActionAid UK said it killed 50.^[1][2] The GHM said that among the fatalities were at least 12 women, eight children, and three elderly.^[42] Doctors Without Borders said that dozens of civilians were injured,^[43] with the GHM eventually confirming 65 injuries.^[44] It later raised the number of injuries to over 200.^[13]

Victims of the attack were rushed to the Emirati Hospital,^[45] but the GHM said that Rafah hospitals didn't have enough resources to deal with the amount of injured people.^[13]

Investigation

Israeli

According to an initial Israeli investigation, civilian casualties were caused by a fire.^[46] Israel told the United States that it was caused when shrapnel from its airstrike hit a fuel tank near the camp, setting a tent on fire and spreading through the camp.^[47] The U.S. said it had no way to verify the Israeli version of the incident and started its own inquiry,^[48] though the next day said it would let Israel investigate.^[49] The Israeli Ministry of Defense later said it was looking into multiple explanations for the fire, including possible weapons storage next to the camp. Israeli officials initially told their American counterparts that shrapnel from their airstrike ignited a nearby fuel tank, creating a large fire.^[50] The IDF eventually suggested that either ammunition or "some other material" stored by the militants in the area of the airstrike caused the fire.^[51] It released an Arabic phone call, supposedly from Hamas, in which they clearly say that the Israeli missile was not responsible for the fire, that the fire was caused by secondary explosions, and the secondary explosions came from an ammunition warehouse.^[52] It also stated that the strike took place outside of the humanitarian zone in the al-Mawasi region.^[53]

Israel said that it had taken steps to limit civilian casualties during the strike.^[54] According to the IDF, two missiles equipped with 17 kilograms (37 lb) of explosives were used in the strikes.^[55] It claimed that the weapons were too small to start the fire itself.^[51][56]

Israel said it ordered the attack following prior intelligence that senior officials of Hamas' West Bank wing were at the site, and that it assessed there would be "no expected harm to uninvolved civilians.^[13]

Independent

Initial reports by ActionAid UK were that Israel fired eight missiles at the camp.^[57] However, analyses by The New York Times and CNN showed that the munition was a variant on the US-made guided GBU-39 bomb (sometimes called a missile),^[11] though the exact variant was unclear.^[58]

The use of precision missiles was seen by Israel as an effort to minimize civilian casualties, however, other military experts doubted the effectiveness of this strategy.^[11] USAF sargeant Wes J. Bryant, who has experience with GBU-39, characterized the Israeli strike as "negligent".^[11] Bryant said GBU-39 should not have been used given that civilians were in the "effects radius" of the airstrike; and that GBU-39 should generally not be used near civilian encampments.^[59]

Satellite images analyzed by The Times of India suggested the target of the attack was the camp itself.^[15] The Guardian located the strike to the camp.^[14] An investigation from CNN showed remnants of four U.S. made bombs in the camp.^[60] The Palestinian Authority,^[61] Egypt,^[62] witnesses^[63] and multiple humanitarian groups also said Israel targeted the camp.^[57][64] Several sources pointed out that refugee camps are typically full of flammable and explosive objects, such as cooking gas canisters,^[65] which could have been ignited by the airstrike.^[66]

Reactions

Domestic

Palestine

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemned the attack, labeling it a massacre and calling for the Palestinian people to "rise up and march" against Israel.^[4] A spokesperson for the Presidency of the Palestinian Authority condemned the incident, calling it a massacre^[67] and called for an intervention.^[68][69]

Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the incident was a "tragic mistake".^[17] The Israeli military said the attack was "under review",^[43] while its top military prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi called the incident "very grave".^[70]

Some Israelis celebrated the attack, likening it to the Jewish holiday Lag BaOmer, in which bonfires are lit to commemorate a second century Rabbi. The analogy was made by Israel's Channel 14 senior journalist Yinon Magal, who posted on X pictures captioned: "The main lighting of the year in Rafah;" and by i24NEWS' Naveh Dromi commenting "Happy Holiday." Both posts were later removed. The comparison was also made by far-right rapper Yoav Eliasi posted videos on Telegram in celebration of the attack and likened it to the holiday. Israeli social media users also shared memes and jokes about the attack. while others condemns on Magal's and Dromi's offensive tweet ^[71][72][73]

International

Governments

Spain, Ireland, and Norway condemned the attack and urged Israel to halt the offensive in a joint statement.

•  Belgium: Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called for further peace negotiations after the attack.^[1]
•  Canada: A legislator and the leader of the New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh posted a tweet after Images of the incident went viral: "Images of the IDFs airstrike hitting a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah are horrifying. Images so terrible I won’t share them. The world is failing the people of Gaza. Canada is failing the people of Gaza."^[74]
•  Chile: The country strongly condemns the "indiscriminate attack" by the Israeli forces.^[75]
•  Colombia: President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack, stating that "the massacre continues".^[76]
•  Egypt: The country condemned the attack, again calling on Israel to halt the Rafah offensive.^[77]
•  France: French politicians called for action against Israel for the attack, with one also calling it an "abominable massacre".^[78] President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" at the attacks and again called for a ceasefire.^[1][79]
• Germany: German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock stated that the ICJ's measures were binding and urged Israel to follow international law.^[80]
•  Indonesia: The country condemned the Israeli attack on camps for displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the strongest terms, calling it "a flagrant breach of the Orders of the ICJ".^[81]
•  Iraq: Cleric and the leader of the Sadrist Movement Moqtada al-Sadr called for the closure of the US embassy in Baghdad after the attacks in Rafah.^[82]
•  Italy: Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that violence against Palestinians was "no longer justifiable".^[83]
•  Ireland: the Irish vice-prime minister said the attack was "barbaric" and urged Israel to halt the Rafah offensive.^[84]
•  Japan: Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa say that the country is "deeply concerned" about the humanitarian situation in Rafah after the attacks.^[85]
•  Jordan: The Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks and urged the international community to hold the perpetrators responsible.^[86]
•  Norway: Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that the Israeli attack on Rafah has "breached international law".^[87]
•  Oman: The Omani Foreign Ministry condemned the attack.^[88]
•  Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the attack, saying Turkey will do "everything possible" to hold "barbaric" Netanyahu to account.^[89][90]
•  Qatar: The country warned that the strike could hinder ceasefire negotiations.^[77]
•  Saudi Arabia: The country said that it "condemns in the strongest terms the continued massacres" carried out by Israeli forces in Gaza and that it "affirms its categorical rejection of the continued flagrant violations by the Israeli occupation forces of all international and humanitarian resolutions, laws, and norms".^[67] The Saudi Foreign Ministry also called for the international community to intervene in the conflict.^[91]
•  South Africa: The International Relations Department says the government has joined the international community and condemned the Israeli attack.^[92]
•  Spain: Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the bombing of Rafah was "one more day with innocent Palestinian civilians being killed", adding that the gravity of the attack "is even larger" as it comes after the ICJ order directing Israel to halt its operations in Rafah and the rest of Gaza.^[67]
•  UAE: The country condemned the attack and stressed that Israel had to follow the ICJ's ruling.^[1]
•  United Kingdom: The UK Foreign Office reiterated that it didn't support the Rafah offensive.^[1] The leader of the opposition Labour party Keir Starmer says that he will push for an end to the invasion of Gaza.^[93]
•  United States: White House Office said it was aware of the reports and still gathering information.^[94] Later on 27 May, the Biden administration condemned the attack and began assessing whether the strike violated its "red line".^[5] On 28 May, the administration announced that the attack didn't violate its red line, which it said was a "large-scale" ground operation.^[95]
•  Yemen: The Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the massacre.^[96]

Supranational

•  African Union: The African Union Commission said the ICJ order must be "urgently enforced if global order is to prevail". Its chairman Moussa Faki wrote on X: "With horrific overnight airstrikes killing mostly Palestinian women & children trapped in a displacement camp in Rafah, the State of Israel continues to violate international law with impunity and in contempt of an ICJ ruling two days ago ordering an end to its military action in Rafah".^[67]
•  European Union: Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the attack, saying that Israel's military actions needed to stop.^[97]
•  United Nations: Francesca Albanese condemned the attack and called it "unacceptable", she also stated that Israel must face sanctions to pressure them to stop.^[98] Albanese described the attack as "yet another massacre."^[99] The UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned "Israel’s actions which killed scores of innocent civilians who were only seeking shelter from this deadly conflict", adding that "This horror must stop."^[97]
• UNRWA: Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of UNRWA said that images from the attack were "a testament to how Rafah has turned into hell on earth".^[100]

Humanitarian aid groups

• International Committee of the Red Cross: A spokesperson for the group said there was a need to follow international law, and that Gaza's healthcare system couldn't handle the attack.^[4]
• Doctors Without Borders: the group said the attack showed "nowhere in Gaza is safe" and reiterated its call for a ceasefire.^[101]
• Palestine Red Crescent Society: the group noted that Israel forcibly displaced civilians into that area.^[12]
• ActionAid UK: the group condemned the "inhumane, barbaric" attack.^[2][102]
• 19 aid groups said in a joint statement: "As Israeli attacks intensify on Rafah, the unpredictable trickle of aid into Gaza has created a mirage of improved access, while the humanitarian response is in reality on the verge of collapse."^[103][104]

A British doctor in Rafah said that videos of the attack were "truly some of the worst that I have seen".^[16]

Other

• Council on American-Islamic Relations: The American-Muslim advocacy and civil rights organization condemned the attacks and demanded that US President Joe Biden stop arming Israel to embolden further attacks on civilians in the face of several prior attacks using US weapons.^[105] National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell stated in a news conference that Biden should not keep "shifting" and "cross[ing] his own red line" and "every red line of U.S. law, international law and basic human decency", and that him providing "military, financial, and diplomatic support" to these operations was staining all Americans "with the blood of innocent Palestinians".^[106]
• Jewish Voice for Peace: the US-based Jewish advocacy group condemned the "massacre" carried out by Israel, stating that "the genocide must end".^[107]
• Former First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf wrote: "Bear witness to the images and ask yourself, are you on the right side of history?" after sharing the images of the incident.^[74]
• An image depicting tents in a camp arranged to spell out "All Eyes on Rafah", calling for people to pay attention to the offensive in the aftermath of the strike, went viral on social media, with many celebrities re-posting the image.^{[108][109][110]}
• Following the attack on Tel al-Sultan, British Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton urged Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah.^[111]

See also

• Jabalia refugee camp airstrikes (2023–2024)
• Al-Maghazi refugee camp airstrikes
• al-Shati refugee camp airstrike
• Flour massacre
• Al-Mawasi refugee camp attack
• List of accidents and incidents involving transport or storage of ammunition
• Sri Lankan Civil War § Fighting in the 'No-Fire Zone'

Notes

References