Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a “tragic mistake” was made in an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah that set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that a “tragic mistake” was made in an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah that set fire to a camp housing displaced Palestinians and, according to local officials, killed at least 45 people.

The strike only added to the surging international criticism Israel has faced over its war with Hamas, with even its closest allies expressing outrage at civilian deaths. Israel insists it adheres to international law even as it faces scrutiny in the world’s top courts, one of which last week demanded that it halt the offensive in Rafah.

“Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night there was a tragic mistake,” Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israel’s parliament. “We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy.”

Mohammed Abuassa, who rushed to the scene in the northwestern neighborhood of Tel al-Sultan, said rescuers “pulled out people who were in an unbearable state.”

“We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young and elderly people. The fire in the camp was unreal,” he said.

  • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
    924·
    5 months ago

    “Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night there was a tragic mistake,” we bombed a densely populated refugee camp which we previously designated as a safe zone and burned women and children alive - Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israel’s parliament.

    • Mrkawfee@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      5 months ago

      It only becomes a mistake when legacy media fail to cover it up and report on it instead.

    • scarabic@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      The whole war is a civilian meat grinder. How are they possibly saying oops we made this one mistake?

  • 800XL@lemmy.worldEnglish
    33·
    5 months ago

    The “tragic mistake” in his head is that he couldn’t kill more. Because he is a sociopath. Fuck Bibi.

    • Resol van Lemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      5 months ago

      In the dialect of Arabic spoken in my country, Morocco, the term “bibi” means turkey, the animal.

      So yeah, Benjamin Netanyahu is a turkey. And I’m telling the Israeli people to do the same thing the Dutch did: eat their prime minister.

  • NoLifeGaming@lemmy.worldEnglish
    271·
    5 months ago

    30k+ mistake. Yeah right. The slaughter continues. This was not the first and it won’t be the last

  • juicy@lemmy.todayEnglish
    22·
    5 months ago

    It was a total coincidence that it happened right after Hamas fired rockets at Tel-Aviv for the first time in months. \s

    • scarabic@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      Yeah that’s the problem with stooping to exchange low blows with a terrorist group: you become a terrorist group. With nukes.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15·
    5 months ago

    He wanted them to starve instead so they won’t count as “war victims” according to the established rules.

    Now they officially count as civil victims of the war, which will be a key variable for the ICC.

  • kandoh@reddthat.comEnglish
    13·
    5 months ago

    Funny, when it first happened they had officials saying this was because rockets were fired at Tel Aviv from Gaza.

    It’s pretty clear that the people in Gaza are being collectively punished for Hamas attacks. Shoot rockets at us, we’ll shoot our rockets at people living in tents in your territory. That will teach you.

  • ipkpjersi@lemmy.mlEnglish
    131·
    5 months ago

    He considers it a tragic mistake that he got caught, not that it happened.