At least 25 killed, 50 others injured in Israeli attacks on displaced Palestinians tent camps near Rafah

Kathmandu: At least 25 people were killed and 50 others were injured in Israeli attacks on tents for displaced Palestinians in al-Mawasi, near Rafah, in the south of the coastal enclave, according to the Gaza health ministry, Al Jazeera reported.

In a separate incident, the Palestinian Civil Defence Agency said crews have taken several people killed and injured in Israeli shelling of the al-Shakoush area, northwest of Rafah. Israeli forces bombed the garage of Gaza City municipality and a five-storey building in the city, Al Jazeera reported.

Earlier, the Gaza health ministry said Israel’s military killed at least 35 Palestinians over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll from the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas to 37,431.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation continued to worsen as the Israeli blockade of the territory continued. The medical relief group Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials, MSF, said on Friday that it may have to suspend its operations in Gaza due to dwindling healthcare supplies.

In a statement, the group said, “MSF is facing critical shortages of essential medicines and equipment as it has been unable to bring any medical supplies into Gaza since the end of April,” according to an Al Jazeera report.

The MSF blamed Israel for the situation, including its seizure and closure of the Rafah crossing in May. The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was a major artery for entering humanitarian assistance and aid workers.

MSF said, ‘The closure of the Rafah crossing following Israel’s offensive in the south of Gaza in early May, coupled with the endless red tape imposed by Israeli authorities, has led to a dramatically slow flow of humanitarian aid through the crossing that is open, Kerem Shalom [Karem Abu Salem] entry point.’

‘This has led to massive queues of trucks and perilous delays in the delivery of humanitarian assistance across Gaza,’ it added, Al Jazeera reported. Israel launched a counter-offensive against Hamas in Rafah in May, despite international warnings.

However, the US, which cautioned Israel against launching the offensive in the southernmost Gaza city, stressed that the Israeli assault was not a “major” offensive.

The attacks on Friday come just two days after a United Nations-backed commission stated Israel’s “deliberate” use of heavy weapons in Gaza constitutes an “intentional and direct attack on the civilian population.”

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected accusations of targeting civilians.