Netanyahu: 'Examining the circumstances surrounding the attack'

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military denied accusations that the air force targeted civilians during the strike that killed two Hamas leaders on Sunday, which coincided with Hamas's launch of missiles into populated areas of Israel.

The Hamas-run health ministry reported at least 45 civilians killed in the Rafah strike, while other sources claimed up to 50 deaths.

In a speech to the Israeli parliament on Monday, Netanyahu stated that despite evacuating about one million non-combatants from Rafah and making every effort not to harm them, an unfortunate incident occurred. Netanyahu emphasized that they are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions because this is their policy.

The IDF strike in Rafah last night resulted in the death of dozens of innocent Palestinians, according to a statement released by a spokesman for the Biden administration's National Security Council on Monday.

Israel has the right to target Hamas, and we understand that this strike resulted in the deaths of two senior Hamas terrorists responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians. However, we have emphasized that Israel must take every possible precaution to safeguard civilians. We are currently collaborating with the IDF and ground partners to evaluate the situation and comprehend the investigation being conducted.

Hamas does not distinguish between civilians and terrorists, as reported by Planet Chronicle Digital in March, when an Ivy League statistician questioned the reliability of Hamas' death toll numbers.

"The IDF statement said that before the strike, steps were taken to minimize harm to uninvolved civilians, such as aerial surveillance, precise munitions deployment, and additional intelligence information. Based on these measures, it was determined that no expected harm would occur to uninvolved civilians. Furthermore, the strike did not take place in the Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi, which the IDF had encouraged civilians to evacuate."

The General Staff's Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism, an independent body responsible for investigating exceptional incidents in combat, is currently examining the circumstances of the deaths of civilians in the area of the strike. The IDF deeply regrets any harm caused to uninvolved civilians during combat.

The General Staff's Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism, directed by Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, investigated the strike in Rafah, as per the IDF statement.

In response to the Zionist massacres of civilians, Hamas stated that it fired a large salvo at Tel Aviv, targeting Israel's Mediterranean metropolis.

For over a decade, Hamas, a terrorist movement designated by both the EU and the US, has been launching rockets at civilians in Israel, resulting in a series of mini-wars.

Yesterday, Israeli Air Force (IAF) aircraft carried out an intelligence-based strike in Rafah against significant terror targets, including senior Hamas terrorists who directed attacks in Judea and Samaria and murdered Israeli civilians.

The IDF stated that the strike was executed based on prior intelligence indicating the presence of senior Hamas terrorists at the strike location.

Two Hamas leaders, Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar, were killed. Yassin Rabia was the commander of Hamas' leadership in Judea and Samaria (West Bank), while Khaled Nagar was a senior official in Hamas who oversaw the Judea and Samaria wing.

The IDF denied allegations of using seven ton munitions in the strike, stating that only two munitions with a reduced warhead were used for a specific target.

The U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland, issued a statement on Monday condemning the Israeli airstrikes that hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, resulting in the reported loss of more than 35 Palestinian lives, including women and children, and dozens of injuries.

While the IDF claimed it targeted a Hamas installation and killed two senior militants in the strikes, I am deeply concerned about the high number of women and children casualties in a region where people have taken refuge.

Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), used X to refute a Hamas source who was reported in the media as inflating the number of casualties and claiming the strike took place in a humanitarian area.

Lerner stated that Muhammad Abu Hani, a Hamas official, is believed to be the source of the widely reported claim that the IAF targeted the humanitarian zone. It is also speculated that he may be the source of the reports from the same "civil defense" of 50 people killed in the strike, which was published by many world media outlets. However, it is important to note that the strike never actually took place in the designated humanitarian zone.

Reuters contributed to this report.