Israel denies shelling camp near Rafah that Gaza officials say killed 21
- More civilians die in Rafah as Israel pushes ahead with offensive in southern Gaza city
- Incident in Al-Mawasi came two days after a tent camp strike killed at least 45 people
Israel’s military denied striking a tent camp west of Rafah after Gaza health authorities said Israeli tank shelling on Tuesday had killed at least 21 people there, in an area Israel has designated a civilian evacuation zone.
Earlier, defying an appeal from the International Court of Justice, Israeli tanks advanced to the heart of Rafah for the first time after a night of heavy bombardment, while Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognised a Palestinian state, a move that further deepened Israel’s international isolation.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, reiterated its opposition to a major Israeli ground offensive in Rafah but said it did not believe such an operation was under way.
Describing the US view of what would constitute a major offensive in Rafah, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that it would involve “large numbers of troops in columns and formations in some sort of coordinated maneuver against multiple targets on the ground.”
“That is a major ground operation,” Kirby said. “We have not seen that.”
