On 21 June 2024, Israeli forces attacked refugee tent camps in

al-Mawasi Al-Mawasi ( ar, المواصي) is a Palestinian Bedouin town on the southern coast of the Gaza Strip, approximately one kilometer wide and fourteen kilometers long, that prior to Israel's unilateral disengagement plan in 2005 existed as a Palesti ...

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...

just outside an area designated as a humanitarian safe zone. The

Gaza Health Ministry The Gaza Health Ministry is the government agency responsible for healthcare and medical services in the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories. It operates under the administration of the Hamas authority that has run the territory since 200 ...

reported that 25 people were killed and 50 others were injured in the two rounds of bombing. The bombing was the second Israeli bombardment of the al-Mawasi refugee camp in under a month, with an attack on 28 May killing over 21 people and injuring 64 more.

Prelude

During the

Israel–Hamas war An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place chiefly in and around the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. On that day, Palestinian militant groups launched 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, a surp ...

, many civilians in Gaza were ordered to evacuate to humanitarian safe zones, depopulating many areas of the strip. Many refugees fled to Rafah, with over 1.4 million civilians sheltering in the city and outlying tent camps. Israel invaded Rafah on 6 May despite orders from the

ICJ The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

to cease the offensive, and a further 950,000 civilians fled to western Rafah, including the al-Mawasi refugee camp. Al-Mawasi is one of the humanitarian safe zones civilians were ordered to evacuate to. On 28 May, Israeli forces bombed Al-Mawasi refugee camp, killing 21 people and injuring 64 more. The 28 May attack sparked international condemnation, and Israeli president

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...

dubbed it a "tragic error." Dozens of people were killed on 13 June at al-Mawasi in renewed strikes, but these were denied by the IDF.

Attack

The first attack on al-Mawasi began shortly after midnight on 21 June. A survivor of the attack stated that her family was awoken by Israeli aircraft, and flames erupted around her camp. Witnesses stated tanks launched artillery shells at makeshift tents and evacuation centers. Another witness stated that the strikes had been fired from two Israeli tanks that climbed a hilltop overlooking the camp. The shelling landed in an area of the camp near the Palestinian

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...

, damaging the structure of the building. Hundreds of civilians and ICRC staff were located near the office at the time of the bombings. Witnesses reported that Israeli forces fired a second round of projectiles on the camp as civilians were leaving their tents. A Palestinian Civil Defence worker stated that two locations in al-Mawasi camp were hit by the Israeli bombardment, with the second one being closer to the entrance of the ICRC. These locations were assessed by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

to be just outside of the safe zone in al-Mawasi.

Aftermath and death toll

The ICRC reported that the hospital in al-Mawasi underwent a "mass casualty influx" due to the bombings, and that they had received 22 bodies and 45 injured people, along with reports of additional casualties. The ICRC, in its statement, did not say who was responsible. Palestinian Civil Defense reported a death toll of 18 and 35 injured. The

announced a death toll of at least 25 killed and 50 injured, and accused the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...

of the bombings. Israeli officials stated that the attack was "under review", and said that "there was no indication the strike was carried out by the IDF."

Reactions

The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell stated, "The EU condemns the shelling, which damaged the ICRC office in Gaza and led to dozens of casualties. An independent investigation is needed and those responsible must be held accountable".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Al-Mawasi refugee camp attack, June 2024 Airstrikes conducted by Israel Airstrikes during the Israel–Hamas war Rafah offensive June 2024 crimes in Asia Mass murder in 2024 Israeli massacres of Palestinians 2024 massacres of the Israel–Hamas war Massacres in the Gaza Strip Massacres committed by Israel 21st-century mass murder in the State of Palestine Israeli war crimes in the Israel–Hamas war

Prelude

Attack

Aftermath and death toll

Reactions

See also

References