The Portuguese government today condemned Israel’s bombardment of a displaced persons camp in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, which caused dozens of deaths, calling for an “immediate ceasefire” and the “urgent entry” of aid.
The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its dismay at the civilian victims, condemning “yesterday’s (Sunday) bombings in Rafah”, in a note published on the social network X.
“[The Portuguese government] reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire, respect for international law and the urgent entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the note reads.
The ministry led by Paulo Rangel also announced that it held talks today in Brussels with Arab and European partners on “constructive proposals to overcome the serious crisis in the Middle East and put an end to the humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip”, based on a “broad consensus on the two-state solution”.
According to the Palestinian authorities, the Israeli shelling caused at least 50 deaths. The Israeli attack came hours after eight rockets were fired at Tel Aviv from Rafah.
The Portuguese government, consternated by the civilian victims, condemns yesterday's bombings in Rafah. It reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire, respect for international law and the urgent entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
— Negócios Estrangeiros PT (@nestrangeiro_pt) May 27, 2024
The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas said it had fired “a large barrage of rockets in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians”.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that the attack in Rafah “hit a Hamas compound where important terrorists” from the Islamist group were operating.
Earlier today, the Israeli government promised to investigate the attack by its military forces.
“We will investigate the matter. It was really serious. Any loss of life, of civilian life, is something serious and terrible,” said Avi Hyman, spokesman for the Israeli government, during a press conference, insisting that Israel continues to try to “limit civilian losses”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the airstrike “a tragic incident”, which was widely condemned by the international community.
On October 7, 2023, an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli territory caused around 1,200 deaths and two hundred hostages, according to the Tel Aviv authorities.
The Ministry of Health in Hamas-controlled Gaza indicated today that the number of people killed by Israeli fire since October 7 has risen to 36,050, while the number of wounded has risen to 81,026.
In addition, the ministry recalls daily that more than 10,000 bodies remain buried under the rubble, without ambulances or rescue teams being able to access them.
