Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the war will continue till the completion of the military's goals, though the Rafah camp strike was a "tragic mishap". His statement comes amid an international outcry over the Rafah camp strike that killed 45 people.
"Despite our best effort, not to harm those not involved, unfortunately, a tragic mistake happened last night. We are investigating the case," Netanyahu said about the strike in a speech at the Israeli Knesset on Monday.
He, however, added that Israel would not surrender or end the war before all its objectives were completed. "The pressure directed at home and abroad towards the Israeli government, which is fighting with all its might to return the hostages, only hardens the positions of (Hamas leader Yahya) Sinwar, who demands from Israel surrender conditions that endanger its existence, and therefore we cannot agree to them," Netanyahu said.
The Israel Defence Forces also said that the Israeli military’s General Staff's Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism is investigating an airstrike carried out in Rafah on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the tent camp strike has triggered a massive outrage against Israel, with the UN calling on Israel to stop the horror. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "the horror had to stop" and that there was "no safe place in Gaza". The UN Security Council will also hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the strike in the city at the request of Algeria.
The strike also triggered reactions from the Western nations, including the US which urged Israel to take more care to protect civilians. Washington stopped short of calling for a halt to the Rafah incursion. "Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians," a National Security Council spokesperson said. "But as we've been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians."
French President Emmanuel Macron too said he is "outraged" over Israel's latest attacks. "These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians," he said on X.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the International Court of Justice ruling must be respected. "International humanitarian law applies for all, also for Israel's conduct of the war," Baerbock said.
