MAY 27, 2024
"An IAF aircraft, in an IDF and Israel Security Agency (ISA) intelligence-based strike, on Sunday evening eliminated the terrorist Yassin Rabia, the Commander of Hamas’ leadership in Judea and Samaria, as well as Khaled Nagar, a senior official in Hamas’ Judea and Samaria wing." Israeli National News 7
"Earlier on Sunday, reports in Rafah said that at least 30 people were killed following a strike in the area where tents containing Gazans who fled their homes are located." (ibid)
The press went wild with the "premeditated targeting of innocent women and children". Jew hatred was stoked to an even higher level and some news services when completely off the rails with unfounded and unreferenced accustaions (check out the India press)
What we do have at this point is the following:
Additional factors outside of the IDF bombing that could have contributed to the fire in Rafah include the presence of a cache of explosives concealed by terrorists in the area. This suggests that the scenes of carnage among civilians may have been a result of this hidden cache detonating, rather than solely from the IDF airstrike. The IDF spokesperson mentioned that the strike took place a mile away from the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone where civilians were sheltering, indicating that the explosion may not have directly impacted the designated safe area.
Furthermore, experts like Mark Dubowitz and Enia Krivine emphasized the challenges faced by Israel in distinguishing between Hamas militants and civilian populations, as Hamas often operates within civilian areas. Hamas's tactics of embedding themselves among civilians and using them as human shields complicate the situation and increase the risk of civilian casualties during military operations like the one in Rafah.
The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed regret over civilian harm while reaffirming their commitment to achieving their military goals. Netanyahu characterized the incident as a 'tragic accident', emphasizing Israel's efforts to minimize harm to uninvolved civilians while continuing to combat Hamas aggression.
In the IDF bombing in Rafah, the Israeli investigation indicated that a cache of explosives concealed by terrorists may have contributed to the scenes of civilian casualties. The incident occurred in a camp for displaced Palestinians, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians. Two munitions weighing 37 pounds each, the smallest in the air force arsenal, were used in the strike.
The strike took place about a mile away from the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone where Palestinian civilians were sheltering. The IDF emphasized that the strike did not occur within the humanitarian area, which had been encouraged for civilian evacuation. IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari pushed back against Palestinian claims that heavy bombs were used, stating that the munitions used were too limited in yield to cause the massive blaze seen in Rafah.
The investigation remains ongoing, with the IDF exploring the possibility that a nearby weapons cache stored by terrorists, unbeknownst to Israel, may have exploded. It is unclear at this stage whether the explosion was caused by the IDF strike itself. The IDF has stressed its commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident and has taken measures to minimize harm to civilians, including the use of precision munitions and intelligence information.
Overall, a conservative perspective on the Rafah airstrike highlights the complexities of the conflict, including Hamas's use of civilians as shields and the challenges faced by the IDF in differentiating between combatants and non-combatants in densely populated areas like Rafah. This viewpoint underscores the need for thorough investigations into incidents like this to determine the full scope of contributing factors beyond just the IDF airstrike.
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