One family described their harrowing escape after the apartment building they were sheltering in appeared to be impacted.
“Suddenly, windows shattered,” Hala Siam told NBC News’ crew on the ground. “The children got scared. We all went out to the street.”
“They said it is safe,” Siam said of the area she and her family were sheltering in. “There is no safe place in Rafah.”
The IDF said its strike targeted two Hamas leaders who it said were responsible for organizing terrorist attacks in the occupied West Bank area. It said that it was aware of reports that civilian tents were ignited in the strike and that the incident was “under review.”
“The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law,” the IDF said in a statement, adding that it used “precise munitions” based on “precise intelligence that indicated Hamas’ use of the area.”
The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it targeted an area in a designated safe zone.
Israel’s top military prosecutor described the incident as “very difficult” and noted an investigation was underway.
“The IDF regrets any harm to un-involved civilians during the war,” Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi told a conference hosted by the Israel Bar Association.
In a statement, Hamas described the strike as a horrific “massacre.” It did not confirm the death of the commander or senior leader.
Earlier Sunday, Hamas’ military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced a missile barrage into Israel targeting Tel Aviv, the first in many weeks. The IDF said that eight projectiles were identified crossing from the area of Rafah into Israeli territory and that a number of projectiles had been intercepted.
As outrage mounted over Sunday’s Rafah attack, mediators Qatar and Egypt condemned the assault as a violation of international law. Qatar, a key broker in talks with Hamas, warned it could imperil efforts toward a truce deal that would secure the release of remaining hostages.
Following weekend talks involving CIA Director William Burns in Paris, an Israeli official told NBC News the Israeli government was hopeful talks may resume this week.
But French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah,” adding “these operations must stop.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council said after Sunday’s strike: “We’re aware of the reports and gathering more information.”
