What happened
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday acknowledged unspecified mistakes in a deadly Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza that drew international condemnation for killing at least 45 displaced Palestinians and wounding hundreds. Images and witness accounts from the ravaged Rafah encampment depicted women and children dismembered and disfigured by raging fire and shrapnel.
Who said what
"Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night there was a tragic mistake," Netanyahu told Israel's parliament. He said Israel will investigate. Military officials initially called Sunday's incident an attack on a Hamas compound using "precise munitions" and "precise intelligence."
A White House national security spokesperson said the "devastating images" from Rafah were "heartbreaking," and though Israel "has a right to go after" Hamas, it must protect civilians. French President Emmanuel Macron, echoing many European leaders, said he was "outraged" and "these operations must stop."
The tragedy comes at a "particularly delicate time for Israel," days after the International Court of Justice "appeared to order" a halt to the Rafah offensive and as "diplomats were aiming to restart" cease-fire negotiations, The New York Times said. The U.S. and other allies had warned Israel against invading the civilian refuge, and Sunday's deaths "appeared to be precisely" what they "had worried about."
What next?
Netanyahu showed no sign of dialing back Israel's Rafah offensive. "I don't intend to end the war before every goal has been achieved," he said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
September 28 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the Jim Comey indictment and Pam Bondi as a the Wicked Witch of the West
-
Your Party: a Pythonesque shamblesTalking Point Comical disagreements within Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's group highlight their precarious position
-
The Liberal Democrats: on the march?Talking Point After winning their highest number of seats in 2024, can the Lib Dems marry ‘stunts’ with a ‘more focused electoral strategy’?
-
The Liberal Democrats: on the march?
Talking Point After winning their highest number of seats in 2024, can the Lib Dems marry ‘stunts’ with a ‘more focused electoral strategy’?
-
Should Tony Blair run Gaza?Today's Big Question Former PM is a key figure in plans for a post-war Palestine and could take up a formal leadership position
-
UN panel finds Israeli genocide in GazaSpeed Read The report found that Israeli leaders had committed ‘four of the five “genocidal acts”’ prohibited under the U.N. Genocide Convention
-
How Benjamin Netanyahu shaped Israel in his own imageThe Explainer He has seldom been personally popular, but ‘King Bibi’ is an exceptionally shrewd operator
-
Nadine Menendez gets 4.5 years in bribery caseSpeed Read Menendez's husband was previously sentenced to 11 years in prison
-
Koreans detained in US Hyundai raid return homeSpeed Read Over 300 Koreans were detained at the plant last week
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years for coup attemptSpeed Read Bolsonaro was convicted of attempting to stay in power following his 2022 election loss
-
Former top FBI agents sue, claiming Trump purgeSpeed Read The agents alleged they were targeted by a “campaign of retribution”
