At Least 20 Killed in Israeli Attack on Rafah
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Israeli bombardment targeting the southern Gaza city of Rafah killed at least 20 Palestinians, including seven children and at least five women, as three homes were destroyed, raising fears of people trapped beneath the rubble.
Palestinian medical sources have cited a toll of at least 20 fatalities due to the Israeli strikes in Rafah's north.
Rafah, which has seen an influx of displaced Palestinians following evacuation orders by the Israeli army, has been subjected to intense bombings in recent days, exacerbating the already dire situation.
Verified social media footage, confirmed by Al Jazeera, showed frantic rescue efforts, with many people digging through rubble to find those injured or trapped after the Israeli attack.
Wafa news agency reported that a residential building owned by the Harb family in Rafah's al-Zuhor neighborhood bore the brunt of the strike, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 individuals, including six children, according to medical sources.
Additional casualties were reported in separate strikes in the southern town of Khan Younis and the northern town of Jabalia, as Wafa documented.
Despite calls from UN officials and rights groups urging Israel to allow humanitarian aid via the Karem Abu Salem crossing, Israel stated that deliveries would continue to be made via Rafah only.
UN's humanitarian office (OCHA) highlighted the aid situation in Gaza, underscoring that while before the conflict, 500 trucks of assistance arrived daily, between October 21 and December 10, 3,248 trucks (excluding fuel) entered the enclave.
Throughout December, approximately 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed into Gaza from Egypt daily, with an uptick in fuel deliveries on December 9 and 10 – yet still falling short of the required amount, according to OCHA.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths expressed concerns about the current aid flow, criticizing it as inconsistent, unreliable, and unsustainable, describing it as "humanitarian opportunism."
