International Outcry over Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Refugee Camp
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The recent Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in Rafah has sparked international outrage and condemnation, with humanitarian organizations and foreign officials decrying the attack that left numerous civilians dead and wounded.
The global humanitarian group ActionAid has expressed profound outrage and heartbreak over a recent Israeli airstrike in West Rafah. Israeli fighter jets launched eight missiles at makeshift shelters housing internally displaced persons (IDPs) next to UNRWA warehouses, which were storing vital aid.
"The images coming from our partners of burned bodies are a scar on the face of humanity and the global community, which so far has failed to protect the people of Gaza," ActionAid stated. "One of our own colleagues narrowly escaped this atrocity, having left the shelter just a day before the attack. But nobody’s safety is guaranteed in Gaza."
The attack has drawn international condemnation. Belgium's Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib described the Palestinian Authority as a “partner for peace” and expressed readiness to assist in reform efforts. “Belgium is working for a recognition with rights and freedoms for Palestinians,” she wrote on X after meeting PA Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry warned that the attack could hinder mediation efforts for a ceasefire and an exchange deal for Palestinian prisoners and Israeli captives.
Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, speaking in Brussels, emphasized the importance of recognizing the state of Palestine. “For many years, we and so many other countries were expecting to recognize at the end of a peace process. But then a few years ago, we realized that we actually needed to think outside the box," Eide stated.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, speaking alongside his Norwegian and Irish counterparts, called for an immediate ceasefire. “Yesterday’s bombing (on Rafah) is one more day with innocent Palestinian civilians being killed. This stresses what the three of our countries have been calling for a long time – an immediate ceasefire,” Albares said.
Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin condemned the attack as "barbaric" and urged Israel to halt its military operations in Rafah. "Gaza is a very small enclave, densely populated," Martin said. "One cannot bomb an area like that without shocking consequences in terms of innocent children and civilians."
Chris Gunness, speaking to Al Jazeera, called it a “tragedy” that Palestinians seek refuge under the UN flag in Rafah.
Following the bombardment, he mentioned the ICC Prosecutor's recent announcement of seeking arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant. "Let us pray that we’re now going to move forward with arrest warrants against Gallant and Netanyahu; they need now to become wanted war criminals," Gunness said.
“We’re now seeing blatant disregard for the Genocide Convention. There is no exception to the Genocide Convention. There are no excuses. This is the crime of crimes,” he said.