ISRAELI and Egyptian troops exchanged fire along their shared border today – resulting in the death of at least one Egyptian soldier.
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) reported a “shooting incident” near the Rafah border crossing and said they are investigating.
GettySmoke rises from an Israeli strike on Rafah, southern Gaza[/caption]
AlamyPalestinians pick through the destruction looking for food after Israeli air strike in Rafah last night[/caption]
Fire raged in Rafah last night after an Israeli strike
The IDF said: “A few hours ago, a shooting incident occurred on the Egyptian border.
“The incident is under review and discussions are being held with the Egyptians.”
Egyptian authorities have opened an investigation to look into the incident.
Israel is claiming that Egyptian forces opened fire first, prompting a reaction, according to Israeli military correspondent Doron Kadosh.
Egypt’s military said in a statement this afternoon: “The Egyptian Armed Forces are conducting an investigation through the competent authorities regarding a shooting incident in the border area in Rafah, which led to the martyrdom of one of the personnel.”
It came hours after Israel blitzed a refugee camp in Rafah last night, killing at least 45 Palestinian civilians including small children.
The Hamas-run health ministry say 60 more people were injured.
Israel claimed to have killed two high-ranking Hamas commanders in the strikes, which sparked an enormous fire in an area where Palestinians were sheltering.
The IDF said it struck a Hamas compound inside Rafah which was being operated by “significant Hamas terrorists”.
It added: “The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, using precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas’ use of the area.”
Yassin Rabia, head of the Hamas West Bank HQ and senior member of the unit Khaled Najjar were apparently taken out.
The Israeli hit landed in Tel Al-Sutan, a part of western Rafah where thousands of people had been seeking refuge during the war.
They had not been told to evacuate or warned about possible strikes on the area and were living there in tents and shelters.
The airstrike set fire to those tents and shelters, captured in horrifying images from the ground.
Israel said in response: “The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review.”
The strike on Rafah came after Hamas launched a chilling barrage of rocket attacks on Israel for the first time in months, forcing civilians to flee their homes.
Rocket sirens were loudly blasted across Tel Aviv after eight missiles were said to have been launched from Gaza with pictures showing Israel’s famous Iron Dome intercepting several of them in mid-air.
Hamas announced they were aiming for Israel’s largest city, saying: “We fired a large salvo at Tel Aviv in response to the Zionist massacres of civilians.”
One Palestinian woman living in the targeted refugee camp told CNN that they had no warning from Israeli forces before the strike hit.
Ranin Miqdad told the outlet: “We were sitting, and suddenly there was a big blast and fire. People started screaming.
“We came out to see what happened… We spent the whole night pulling out mutilated bodies of grown-ups as well as children.”
When the explosion hit – Ranin said people “flew away here and there”.
Now those who survived are trying to leave, she said, but many don’t have anywhere to go.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said today that he condemns the strikes on Rafah “in the strongest terms”.
He wrote on X: “Horrified by news coming out of Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of displaced persons, including small children.
“There is no safe place in Gaza. These attacks must stop immediately. ICJ orders [international humanitarian law] must be respected by all parties.
“This is really a dilemma how the international community can… force implementation of the decision.”
Egypt also hit back against the attack on the refugee camp.
It’s foreign ministry issued a statement accusing Israel of deliberate “bombardment” and urging it to “implement the measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning an immediate cessation of military operations”.
Just days ago, Israel was told to immediately cease its operation in Rafah, a southern part of the Gaza Strip where countless Palestinians have been sheltering.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said the humanitarian crisis in Rafah had “deteriorated further”, with the situation now “disastrous”.
ICJ President Nawaf Salam said: “Israel must immediately halt its military offensive.”
The global court accused Israel of limiting aid to Gaza, which they deny.
Chief ICC prosecutor Karim Khan had requested arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in the Strip.
Hamas leaders were also included in the requests for international warrants.
Israel’s top military lawyer, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, is investigating what she described as the “very grave” airstrike on Rafah.
She said: “The details of yesterday’s event are still under review, and we are committed to seeing it through to conclusion.
“The IDF regrets any harm to un-involved civilians during the war.”
She also revealed that the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (MPCID) have launched a huge 70 investigations into incidents throughout the war which raise “suspicion of criminal offences”.
The UN said of last night’s attacks: “Information coming out of Rafah about further attacks on families seeking shelter is horrifying,” UNRWA wrote on X.
“There are reports of mass casualties including children and women among those killed. Gaza is hell on earth. Images from last night are yet another testament to that.”
Rocket sirens were set off across Tel Aviv as Hamas missiles flew overhead
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