Photo: Activestills
On May 26, the Israeli Air Force targeted an IDP camp and tents in Tel al-Sultan, Rafah, designated by Israel as a “safe zone”. Reports indicate at least 45 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed, and over 249 were wounded, with dozens suffering severe burns.
Two days later, on May 28, Israel once more targeted an IDP camp, this time in al-Mawasi, located west of Rafah. Tents caught fire, resulting in the deaths of 21 displaced persons and injuring 64 others. No evacuation orders were issued prior to these assaults.
These massacres took place shortly after the ICJ issued its third set of provisional measures regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza. The directive required Israel, among other things, to immediately halt its military offensive and any other activities in Rafah that violated the Genocide Convention.
For months, various states and international bodies, including the UN and the EU, cautioned Israel that an incursion into Rafah would exacerbate the crisis and lead to mass casualties. Despite these warnings and the ICJ’s directive, Israel launched attacks on areas it previously designated “safe zones”. Following the invasion and the indiscriminate assaults on refugee camps, over 900,000 displaced individuals were once again forced to flee. Israel reportedly killed over 210 Palestinians, including 65 children and 36 women, since the start of its invasion of Rafah.
With bed occupancy rates reaching 439%, Gaza’s hospitals are entirely unable to handle a mass casualty incident of this magnitude. Since the start of the Rafah assault, all three hospitals in the area, along with four out of six field hospitals, have become dysfunctional due to Israel’s systematic targeting of health facilities, personnel, and emergency teams.
The healthcare system is struggling to cope with countless injured and ill patients, far surpassing its capacity. Exhausted personnel are working under impossible conditions and cannot be replaced by new staff due to Israel’s blockade of the Rafah crossing.
Since the crossing has been closed, the evacuation of critically injured patients to Egypt has stopped. As a result, at least 1,200 children, women, and elderly individuals have not been evacuated and are facing imminent death, putting further strain on an already crumbling healthcare system. Approximately 14,000 wounded and critically ill individuals urgently need to be evacuated, and this number is expected to rise.
Gaza’s entire population is exposed to Israel’s airstrikes, gunfire, and tank shelling, in addition to the daily hunger and spread of diseases. The ICJ ruling offers little relief from the harsh reality they have endured for the past eight months.
We reiterate our appeal to the international community to exert pressure on Israel to ensure its adherence to international law and the ICJ’s orders. Urgent measures are necessary to ensure the reopening of borders, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the protection of civilians, medical personnel, and relief workers, as well as to secure a ceasefire.