LIVE UPDATES: At least 35 killed as Israel targets camp for displaced Palestinians, houses in Rafah
Source: MEMO| Middle East Monitor
The attack occurred near the logistics base of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Tal al-Sultan, said the Gaza Media Office. Israeli aircraft targeted several tents in the area, the media office said, adding that missiles and 2,000-pound bombs were used.
Arab countries condemn Israeli airstrike on Rafah camp for displaced people
Several Arab countries condemned on Monday the Israeli airstrike on tents housing displaced people in the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, calling it “tragic” and urging the UN Security Council to intervene to end the Israeli military operations in the enclave and Rafah, Anadolu news agency reported.
At least 35 people were killed and dozens injured as Israel targeted a camp for displaced people and houses in the city on Sunday.
The Atlantic faces backlash for saying ‘It is possible to kill children legally’ in Gaza
In a recent article by The Atlantic has faced a backlash online after questioning the massive civilian death toll as a result of the US-backed, Israeli war on Gaza, and going as far as to suggest that “it is possible to kill children legally.”
In his opinion piece for the outlet earlier this month entitled, “The UN’s Gaza Statistics Make No Sense”, staff writer Graeme Wood expressed scepticism in the UN’s figures on the death toll in Gaza, stating: “The UN numbers changed because the UN has little idea how many children have been killed in Gaza, beyond ‘a lot.’ It gets its statistics from Hamas.”
Palestine presidency: ‘Israel’s massacre in Rafah challenges ICJ ruling’
The Palestinian presidency condemned Israel’s attack on displaced persons’ tents in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Sunday evening, calling it a: “Massacre beyond all limits and a challenge to international legal rulings, including the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).”
The Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza reported that 50 Palestinians were either killed or injured due to an Israeli airstrike on a displacement camp in the Tel Al-Sultan area, west of Rafah.
Spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency Nabil Abu Rudeineh denounced in a press release: “The deliberate targeting of displaced persons’ tents in Rafah by the Israeli occupation army constitutes a massacre beyond all limits. Immediate intervention is required to halt these crimes against the Palestinian people.”
8,875 Palestinians arrested in West Bank since 7 October
With the Israeli army’s detention of 20 Palestinians between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, the number of arrests in the West Bank has risen to 8,875 since 7 October.
These numbers were provided in a joint statement issued by the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club. The organisations reported: “The total number of arrests since 7 October has exceeded 8,875.”
According to the two bodies: “Israeli occupation forces have arrested at least 20 citizens from the West Bank since last evening until Sunday morning, including children and former prisoners.”
The arrests were carried out across the governorates of Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Nablus and Jenin: “Accompanied by extensive raids and abuse, as well as acts of vandalism and destruction in citizens’ homes.”
In parallel with the war on Gaza, Israeli settlers have escalated their attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. The Israeli army has also intensified its operations, resulting in the deaths of 518 Palestinians, injuries to approximately 5,000 others and numerous arrests.
ICC prosecutor condemns Israel’s ‘collective punishment’ in Gaza as war crime
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan accused Israel of imposing collective punishment on Gaza, stressing that no one has the right to commit war crimes or crimes against humanity.
In an interview with British newspaper The Sunday Times last Sunday, Khan commented on the reactions to his request for international arrest warrants against leaders from Israel and Hamas.
Last Monday, Khan announced he had requested international arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed since 7 October.
Israel ‘ignores’ ICJ ruling, intensifies attack on Rafah
In the 48 hours that followed the ICJ’s ruling on Friday 24 May, Israel conducted more than 60 air raids on Rafah in a move which Euro-Med Monitor proves the occupation is ‘ignoring’ the court’s orders.
Some 30 Palestinians were killed last night after Israel struck an UNRWA storage facility in Rafah where civilians had taken shelter. A large fire broke out as a result of the strike.
“Meanwhile, the World Food Programme warehouse and the UNRWA distribution centre in Rafah remain inaccessible due to the ongoing Israeli military attack,” Euro-Med reported.
Famine imminent in northern Gaza amid Israel’s closure of crossings, media office warns
Gaza’s government media office warned Sunday of a looming famine in the northern Gaza Strip amid Israel’s closure of the territory’s crossings, Anadolu Agency reports.
“The humanitarian crisis is deepening in Gaza…as Israel continues to tighten its blockade on the entire enclave,” the media office said in a statement.
It said that less than 100 aid trucks entered the besieged enclave via a US-built pier on Gaza’s coast over the past week.
“Only 214 trucks were allowed into northern Gaza last week via a point (established by the Israeli army) west of Beit Lahia, including 109 loaded with flour, and only 6 medicine trucks,” it added.
Palestinian prime minister welcomes Spain’s recognition of Palestinian state
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa welcomed on Sunday an announcement by Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, that it will recognize a Palestinian state from May 28, Anadolu Agency reports.
“With this significant step, Spain has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to the two state solution and to delivering justice to the Palestinian people,” Mustafa said at a joint press conference after his meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares in Brussels.
Israel’s Gantz proposes inquiry commission into Oct. 7 events, Gaza war
Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz submitted a proposal on Sunday to form a state commission of inquiry into the events surrounding the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the subsequent war on the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reports.
“As part of the commission of inquiry that Gantz proposed to establish, all the events leading up to the war, the decision-making at the political and military level, as well as the conduct during the war itself, will be investigated,” Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said.
Gantz recommended looking into the success or failure of operations conducted in Gaza since Oct. 7 and the response to threats on Israel’s border with Lebanon and Syria.
Hamas says not informed yet about resumption of Gaza cease-fire talks
Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Sunday it has not yet been informed by mediators about the resumption of indirect negotiations with Israel to reach a cease-fire and hostage swap deal in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reports.
“We have not received anything from mediators,” senior Hamas leader Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement.
Israel said on Saturday that indirect talks with Hamas for a Gaza cease-fire deal will be resumed next week.
Harvard graduation ceremony witnesses emphasis on Gaza
Shruthi Kumar, a graduate of Harvard University, expressed her deep disappointment at the attitude of the university administration, which denied diplomas to some students who showed solidarity with Gaza.
Speaking at the university’s graduation ceremony, Kumar went beyond the text she was given and criticized the university administration’s stance on Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports.
Kumar, who is of South Asian origin, noted that their messages of freedom of expression and solidarity with Gaza were penalized shortly before graduation, saying: “I am deeply disappointed by the intolerance for freedom of speech and the right to civil disobedience on campus.
Israeli army continues bombarding southern Lebanon, with several casualties feared
The Israeli army on Sunday continued bombarding southern Lebanon, targeting various regions as well as a motorcycle, with local media reporting several casualties, Anadolu Agency reports.
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that “the Israeli enemy bombing targeted the outskirts of the towns of Shihin and Majdal Zoun, in conjunction with the bombing of Wadi Hamul and Wadi Hassan with a number of artillery shells.”
“If it wasn’t anti-Semitic to do it to South Africa, it’s not anti-Semitic to do it to Israel.”
― Jimmy Dore