Palestine claims dozens killed in Rafah airstrike, IDF says Hamas was targeted

Israel Defense Forces claimed it carried out an airstrike targeting Hamas compound in Rafah.

IDF claimed two senior Hamas officials were killed in the airstrike.

They were identified as Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar.

IDF said Rabia managed the entirety of Hamas' terrorist activity in Judea and Samaria, transferred funds to terrorist targets and planned Hamas terrorist attacks throughout Judea and Samaria.

"He also carried out numerous attacks, in which IDF soldiers were killed," IDF posted on X.

Speaking on the other Hamas official, IDF said: "Nagar, a senior official in Hamas’ Judea and Samaria Headquarters, directed shooting attacks and other terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria and transferred funds intended for Hamas’ terrorist activities in Gaza. He also carried out several deadly terrorist attacks in which IDF soldiers were killed."

Hamas on Sunday claimed to have launched a rocket attack towards Tel Aviv city in Israel, media reports said.

It is the first time such an attack launched by the group on Israel in four months.

Eight rockets were launched from the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip at central Israel, Israel Defense Forces told The Times of Israel.

In a X post, IDF wrote: " A barrage of rockets was launched from Rafah toward central Israel moments ago."

"Humanitarian aid has been going into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing this morning, and now rockets are being fired at central Israel," the X post said.

The Israeli army is carrying out a military operation in Rafah, reported BBC.

IDF earlier said rocket sirens were sounded over Tel Aviv and Central Israel.

On its telegram channel, the Hamas's military wing, Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said it launched a "big missile" attack on Tel Aviv, reported BBC.

Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday (May 24, 2024) issued new provisional measures that order Israel to immediately end military operations in Rafah in southern Gaza and to open the governate’s border crossing for urgent aid deliveries.

This follows a request from South Africa in a pending case accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention.

Reading the new provisional measures in an open session at the court in The Hague, ICJ Justice Nawaf Salam announced that Israel must abide by its obligations under the Genocide Convention to “immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah governate which may inflict upon the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that would bring about its physical destruction in whole and in part”.

The court issued that decision by 13 votes in favour to two against.

The new provisional measures came in response to South Africa’s request made on 10 May related to its initial accusations in December that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention during the war in Gaza, which broke out after Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October that killed more than 1,200 people and left another 250 taken hostage.