June 2024 Al-Mawasi Refugee Camp Attack

Background

During the Gaza war, large numbers of civilians were ordered by Israeli forces to evacuate to designated humanitarian safe zones, leading to the depopulation of many areas of the Gaza Strip. Many refugees fled to Rafah, with over 1.4 million civilians sheltering in the city and surrounding tent camps. On 6 May 2024, Israel invaded Rafah despite orders from the International Court of Justice to cease the offensive, prompting a further 950,000 civilians to flee to western Rafah, including the al-Mawasi refugee camp, itself designated as a humanitarian safe zone.

On 28 May 2024, Israeli forces bombed the al-Mawasi refugee camp, killing 21 people and injuring 64 more. That attack drew international condemnation, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a "tragic error." Dozens more people were reported killed on 13 June 2024 in renewed strikes at al-Mawasi, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied carrying out.

The Attack

The first strike on 21 June 2024 began shortly after midnight. A survivor said her family was awoken by Israeli aircraft as flames erupted around the camp. Witnesses reported that tanks fired artillery shells into makeshift tents and evacuation centers, with strikes said to have come from two Israeli tanks positioned on a hilltop overlooking the camp. The shelling struck an area near the Palestinian office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), damaging the building's structure while hundreds of civilians and ICRC staff were nearby. Witnesses said a second round of projectiles struck the camp as civilians were fleeing their tents. A Palestinian Civil Defence worker said two locations within the camp were hit, the second nearer the ICRC office entrance. The Associated Press assessed both locations as just outside the boundaries of the designated safe zone.

Aftermath and Death Toll

The ICRC said the al-Mawasi hospital experienced a "mass casualty influx," reporting that it had received 22 bodies and 45 injured people, with additional casualties also reported; the ICRC statement did not attribute responsibility. Palestinian Civil Defense reported a death toll of 18 killed and 35 injured. The Gaza Health Ministry reported at least 25 people killed and 50 injured, and attributed the bombing to the IDF. Israeli officials said the incident was "under review" and stated there was "no indication the strike was carried out by the IDF."

Reactions

The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, condemned the shelling, stating it damaged the ICRC office in Gaza and led to dozens of casualties, and called for an independent investigation with accountability for those responsible.