Netanyahu vows to continue war amid air strike condemnation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the military campaign against Hamas despite international condemnation of an airstrike that killed at least 45 Palestinians in Rafah on Sunday. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that hundreds more were treated for severe burns, fractures, and shrapnel wounds. Netanyahu described the strike as a “tragic mishap” but emphasised that the war would not end until all objectives were achieved.
Netanyahu said Israel is taking “every precaution possible” to protect civilians, insisting that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are making their “best efforts not to harm those uninvolved” in the conflict. The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday, at Algeria’s request, to discuss the Rafah strike.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, stating it had “killed scores of innocent civilians who were only seeking shelter from this deadly conflict” and calling for an end to the violence in Gaza.
International organisations, including the European Union, have condemned the strike, with EU diplomat Josep Borrell labelling it “horrifying” and urging Israel to comply with a recent International Court of Justice ruling to halt strikes on Rafah. Despite the ruling, Israeli officials maintain that their actions are within international law and have pledged to continue their operations. The attack on Rafah followed Hamas’s first missile strike on Tel Aviv in several months.