Israel tells US that precision munition was used in strike on Gaza’s Rafah

Jerusalem: Israel informed US President Joe Biden’s administration that it had used a precision munition to hit a target in Rafah in the strike that caused deaths in a camp for displaced Palestinians, but the explosion from the strike ignited a fuel tank and caused fire in the camp, CNN reported, citing a US official.

“We can’t confirm that, but it’s what Israel shared with us,” the official was quoted as saying on Monday.

The official also said that “we assume we will learn more once Israel completes its investigation.”

Israel struck a camp for displaced Palestinians northeast of Rafah on Sunday. The Palestinian civil defence service said that at least 40 people died, and dozens were injured as a result. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the airstrike on the refugee camp a “tragic mishap,” adding that an investigation is underway. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that it used “precise munitions.”

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighbourhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack.

Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.

Over 36,000 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.