Netanyahu Admits Israel Is Killing Civilians For The First Time, Calling It ‘Tragic Mistake’

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that the death of at least 45 civilians killed in the Southern Gaza city of Rafah by an Israeli airstrike on Sunday was a “tragic mistake.”

The airstrike hit a camp for displaced Palestinian civilians. Footage from the scenes showed gory carnage and destruction.

Netanyahu’s comment comes as Israel faces unprecedented global condemnation for Sunday’s attack on civilians, which the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had initially claimed was a surgical airstrike against Hamas.

The IDF – without proof – had claimed that the attack took out Hamas’s Chief of Staff for the West Bank and another senior official behind deadly attacks on Israelis.

The attack on Rafah came after Hamas fired rockets from Gaza towards Tel Aviv earlier on Sunday, all of which were intercepted without record of death in Israel.

The IDF, in a statement, said: “The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law, through the use of precise munitions and on the basis of precise intelligence that indicated Hamas’ use of the area.

The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review.

“The IDF regrets any harm to non-combatants during the war,” the statement added, while Netanyahu later admitted it was a “tragic mistake.”

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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Mayowa Durosinmi is a Nigerian investigative reporter for West Africa Weekly with reports focusing on politics, human rights, security and health in West Africa and the Sahel region.

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