An Israeli artillery strike on a designated humanitarian zone near Rafah killed at least 21 civilians, intensifying international scrutiny of the Gaza offensive.
Key Facts
- Date of strike
- 28 May 2024
- Killed
- At least 21, including at least 12 women
- Injured
- 64, including 10 critically
- Projectiles reported
- Four tank artillery shells
- Days after ICJ order
- 4 days after ICJ ordered halt to Rafah offensive
- IDF response
- Israel Defense Forces denied attacking the area
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Israel's Rafah offensive triggered mass displacement of Palestinian civilians into tent cities in officially designated humanitarian zones. On 24 May 2024, the International Court of Justice issued a legally binding order demanding Israel immediately halt the offensive due to civilian risk, and two days before this strike a separate attack on Tel al-Sultan killed 45–50 civilians.
On 28 May 2024, four tank artillery shells struck a tent encampment in the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone west of Rafah. Gaza emergency services reported at least 21 people killed—at least 12 of them women—and 64 injured, 10 critically. The area had been designated by Israel as an expanded humanitarian zone following civilian evacuations from Rafah.
The strike drew further international condemnation amid an already intensifying legal and diplomatic crisis over civilian casualties in Gaza. The New York Times published video evidence of the aftermath. The IDF denied responsibility, while the attack compounded pressure on Israel following the ICJ order and the Tel al-Sultan strike two days prior.