Israeli military says fire at Rafah camp not caused by Israeli weaponry alone (2024)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the deadly fire at displacement camp in Rafah was not caused solely by weapons used by the Israeli military.

Hagari said the IDF is “looking into all possibilities, including the option that weapons stored in a compound next to our target, which we did not know of, may have ignited as a result of this strike.”

Hagari showed aerial footage of a strike on a structure, in which, he says senior Hamas commanders were meeting. He added that the strike used two munitions with small warheads with 17 kilos munitions -- "the smallest munitions that our jets could use."

Hagari also said the Israeli military had carried out aerial surveillance assessing the civilian presence in the area before carrying out the strike, "to minimize civilian harm."

The surveillance video released by the IDF shows at least three people on the road near the targeted buildings at the moment of the strike.

Alongside the aerial surveillance, Hagari said the Israeli military had delayed the attack "to further assess expected civilian presence."

Some background: At least 45 people were killed and 200 others were injured in the strike. Video from the site showed scenes of horror: charred bodies being pulled from rubble, a man holding the headless body of a child, fire raging from tents in the background.

France has called for Israeli operations in Rafah to cease ahead of an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

The statement also called for the UN to be allowed to meet the “immediate needs” of the population and to allow the Palestinians to “govern a territory that must be an integral part of their state.”

The ICJ last week ordered Israel to halt its military operation in Rafah, as international pressure mounts on Israel to rein in its assault.

Israel has presented mediators with new ideas on the hostage-for-ceasefire, a diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday. The source could not expand on what the new ideas are.

The diplomatic source has not heard of any wider meetings happening Tuesday.

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas were paused three weeks ago without an agreement.

CNNreported Tuesdaythat Egypt muddied the negotiations after independently changing the terms of a framework that Israel had signed on to and presented it to Hamas who then declared they accepted it.

The proposal had been changed without the knowledge of Israel or the other mediators, the US and Qatar, prompting anger and frustration.

Hamas announced earlier this month that it had accepted a deal, but Israel swiftly said the terms were "far from" meeting its demands.

Israeli military tanks were seen in central Rafah on Tuesday for the first time since the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) entered the southern city earlier this month, two eyewitnesses told CNN.

A Rafah resident, Alaa Abu Ibrahim, told CNN that Israeli tanks were seen in Al Awda roundabout in the center of the city.

Another Rafah resident, Salma AlKadoomi, said she saw Israeli armored vehicles in the downtown area of the city near the Abu Hashem building.

The sighting of tanks comes after Israel launched a missile strike on a displacement camp near Rafah, killing dozens and prompting international calls for Israel to abide by the ruling of the International Court of Justice, which ordered Israel to halt its offensive in the city.

Ireland formally recognized the State of Palestine at a government meeting Tuesday.

Ireland will appoint an ambassador to the State of Palestinian and a full Irish embassy, to be based in Ramallah.

Harris said that a two-state solution is "the only way for Israel and Palestine to live side by side in peace and security," and called on Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "stop the humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza.

Ireland, Norway and Spain each publicly announced plans on May 22 torecognize a Palestinian state on Tuesday, which are all now formally in effect.

More than 370 trucks carrying humanitarian aid went into Gaza on Monday, including 154 trucks that had arrived at the Kerem Shalom crossing from Egypt, Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said.

Some 70 World Food Programme (WFP) trucks, that had arrived to Ashdod Port, entered Gaza carrying flour, COGAT said.

Hundreds of aid trucks have not yet been picked up by UN agencies for distribution inside the territory, COGAT said. The UN have said the retrieval and distribution of aid remains difficult due to the conditions on the ground.

UNRWA said on Monday that the aid agency picked up only 30 trucks for distribution on the Gaza side due to heavy movement restrictions, ongoing Israeli airstrikes, the launch of rockets by Hamas and limitations on the routes that can be used.

Norway's foreign minister said Tuesday marks “a milestone in the relationship between Norway and Palestine,” as the country officially recognizes a Palestinian state.

“For more than 30 years, Norway has been one of the strongest advocates for a Palestinian state,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eidesaid in astatementTuesday, as the country's formal recognition came into effect. “I have confidence that the Palestinian government will continue the difficult job of reform and lay the foundations for governing both the West Bank and Gaza after a ceasefire.”

“The international community must increase its political and economic support for Palestine and continue the work for a two-state solution,” he added.

Eidehanded the Prime Minister of the Palestinian AuthorityMohammed Mustafa “a formal document of recognition” when they met in Brussels on Sunday.

Norway, Spain and Ireland each publicly announced plans on May 22 to formally recognize a Palestinian state on May 28. Earlier today, Spain announced it had done so.

Norwegian Prime MinisterJonas Gahr Støre said last week that “there will be no peace in the Middle East without a two-state solution.” Støre added that a Palestinian state was “a prerequisite for achieving peace in the Middle East.”

The Spanish government officially recognized a Palestinian state on Tuesday in a cabinet meeting, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albarestold a news conference in Madrid.

Just before the cabinet meeting, Spanish Prime MinisterPedro Sánchezsaid in a nationally televised address that Spain would join “more than 140 countries that already recognize Palestine” and that it “is the only way to realize the solution that we all recognize as the only possible one to achieve a future of peace: that of a Palestinian State that coexists alongside the State of Israel in peace and security.”

Spain, Ireland and Norway each publicly announced plans on May 22 to formally recognize a Palestinian state on Tuesday.

The Slovenian government will consider a proposal this week to recognize an independentPalestinian state, according to Prime Minister Robert Golob.

A government meeting on Thursday will consider forwarding “the recognition of Palestine” to the country’s legislature for approval, Golob in astatement.

“In the meantime, we will continue to coordinate with a group of like-minded countries in order to create maximum pressure for an immediate ceasefire and release of the hostages,” the prime minister said.

Golob initiated the process “of recognizing Palestine as an independent and sovereign state” on May 9.

On Sunday, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon toldAl Jazeera: “We’ve decided we have a moral duty, at least a symbolic duty, to give hope to Palestinians with this further step on recognition.” Fajon added there is a need to help “reform Palestinian authorities in Ramallah to be able, one day, also to control Gaza,” as she also expressed hope that “other countries will follow us.”

Last week, the governments of Ireland, Norway and Spain announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state.