Potential Violation of International Law: The Rafah Camp Bombing by Israel

Israel’s deadly attack on a Palestinian displacement camp in southern Gaza has sparked outrage and condemnation from legal experts, humanitarian organizations, and world leaders. The air strikes, which targeted a center for displaced people in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in northwestern Rafah, resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people and left nearly 250 others wounded. Among the fatalities were 23 women, children, and elderly individuals who perished in the flames after eight missiles struck makeshift shelters.

The attack, which took place in an area designated as a “humanitarian zone” by Israel, has been described as a war crime and a violation of international law by legal experts. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had recently ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah, citing concerns about potential violations of the Genocide Convention. Despite this, the Israeli military proceeded with the deadly assault, leading to a tragic loss of life.

Videos shared on social media captured the devastation as fires engulfed makeshift tents and survivors struggled to rescue those trapped in the flames. The targeted area was also near warehouses belonging to the UN refugee agency for Palestinians, which were storing vital aid supplies. ActionAid, a global humanitarian organization, condemned the attack as a “scar on the face of humanity” and called for international action to hold Israel accountable for its actions.

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations’ special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, denounced the attack as a blatant defiance of international law and called for sanctions and justice against Israel. The principles of distinction and proportionality, which require parties to a conflict to avoid targeting civilians and to ensure that the harm caused is proportionate to the military advantage gained, were clearly violated in this tragic incident.

Despite Israel’s claims that the attack was based on precise intelligence targeting members of Hamas’ military wing, legal experts argue that the scale of civilian casualties was foreseeable and unjustifiable. The ICC’s prosecutor has already applied for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, and calls are now growing for additional warrants to be issued in light of the Tel al-Sultan attack.

The Palestinian presidency has accused Israel of deliberately targeting the center for displaced people, describing the massacre as a challenge to international legitimacy resolutions. The ongoing violence in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians and wounded tens of thousands more, underscores the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and accountability for those responsible for atrocities.