45 die as Israel strikes in Rafah, Netanyahu admits to “tragic mistake”

Benjamin Netanyahu admitted to a “tragic mistake” after an Israeli strike on a tent camp full of Palestinians in Gaza triggered global condemnation.

Israel admitted to striking a tent camp full of displaced Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday night, killing dozens and triggering calls from global leaders and senior Israeli officials for an end to the fighting.

Thousands were taking shelter in Tel al-Sultan having fled from the east of the city where the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) issued evacuation orders and began a ground offensive earlier this month.

Israel admitted civilian casualties in Rafah but said its forces were aiming at a Hamas compound, killing two senior commanders.

The airstrike killed Yassin Rabia, who was responsible for funding and overseeing Hamas operations in the West Bank, and Khaled Nagar, a senior officer in Hamas’s West Bank wing, according to the Israeli military.

On Monday, Mr Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament: “In Rafah, we evacuated a million uninvolved residents and, despite our best efforts, a tragic accident happened yesterday.”

He said an investigation was underway.

The overnight attack came a few hours after Tel Aviv was targeted with a rare barrage of missiles from Rafah, the first one in months.