Rafah refugee camp suffered 'a terrible tragedy' - Netanyahu

Israel has launched an investigation into an IDF attack south of the Gaza city of Rafah that killed at least 45 Palestinian refugees on Sunday.

According to ABC News, the shelling of the attack ignited a fuel tank 100 meters away from the target, sparking a fire in the refugee camp.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the casualties in a speech to the Knesset on Monday. "Despite our best efforts not to harm innocent people, a terrible mistake was made last night," he said, according to the Associated Press. "We are investigating the incident and coming to a conclusion because that is our policy."

The Israeli Army said an attack in the Tel-Sultan area killed two top Hamas officials, including the head of the Palestinian military group's headquarters in the West Bank. In a separate statement, the Israeli army confirmed that "there are many ways to reduce the risk of injury to [civilians] not involved, including air surveillance, the use of weapons and other intelligence." civilians who are not involved can cause harm to civilians.

The Times of Israel quoted an IDF source as saying that the attack used two missiles with "smaller" warheads.

The crisis increased international pressure on Israel to implement a total ceasefire in Gaza or to reduce its activities in the Palestinian territory.

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he was "outraged" by the death of the refugees. A spokesman for the National Security Council called the Rafah photo "heartbreaking" and urged Israel to "take precautions to protect civilians."

While the IDF has denied targeting civilians, it has acknowledged mistakes in past operations, including an attack on an aid group last month that killed seven foreigners.

In his speech on Monday, Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting Hamas. "If we surrender, we will bring a great victory to terrorism, Iran and the entire axis of evil - those who want us dead," he said.

According to local Hamas authorities, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in seven months of fighting.

Israel declared war on Hamas after Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli villages on October 7, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking more than 200 prisoners. Many prisoners were later released as part of a prisoner exchange during a week-long ceasefire in November.