A fire broke out in a Palestinian camp after an Israeli air strike targeted two Hamas commanders in Rafah on Sunday. According to Hamas health authorities, 45 people were killed.

Where? The strike was launched in the Tel al-Sultan area of western Rafah, outside the “humanitarian zone” of the al-Mawasi region.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society, a humanitarian organization, and Ahmed al-Sufi, the mayor of Rafah, claimed the strike took place within Gaza’s safe zone.

The fire: After the attack, a fire broke out in a nearby Palestinian camp. Hamas health officials say 45 civilians were killed and another 200 were injured.

It is not clear how the fire started, but the Israel Defense Forces (idf) promised to investigate the incident.

• One U.S. official said the fire possibly broke out when shrapnel from the strike hit a fuel tank, which ignited a nearby tent.
• Some Gazans who witnessed the fire said shrapnel hit a nearby Hamas jeep, which was loaded with explosives.

Before the strike, a number of steps were taken to reduce the risk of harming uninvolved civilians during the strike, including conducting aerial surveillance, the deployment of precise munitions by the [Israeli Air Force], and additional intelligence information. Based on these measures, it was assessed that there would be no expected harm to uninvolved civilians …. The idf regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians during combat.
—Israel Defense Forces

Hamas strategy: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for the incident, saying, “Despite our efforts not to hurt them, there was a tragic mishap.” He said, “We are investigating the incident,” but he vowed to keep fighting in Gaza despite heavy international pressure to pull out. “For us it’s a tragedy; for Hamas it’s a strategy,” he added.

The international outcry against Israel’s offensive in Gaza is resounding, and the media use incidents like this to give it more voice. This nearly universal condemnation of Israel highlights the decline and negligence of international law.

Learn more: Read “Israel and the Failure of International Law.”