Egypt on Monday condemned what it called the “deliberate bombardment by Israeli forces of displaced peoples’ tents” in Rafah, in strikes which Gaza’s civil defence agency said killed at least 40 people.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling on Israel to “implement the measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning an immediate cessation of military operations” in Rafah.
The ministry condemned the strike as “a new flagrant violation of the provisions of international humanitarian law”.
It deplored the “tragic event” and denounced the “targeting of defenceless civilians” and “a systematic policy aimed at widening the scope of death and destruction in the Gaza Strip to make it uninhabitable”.
Jordan also expressed its condemnation, accusing Israel of committing “ongoing war crimes”.
Amman said the bombardment in Rafah “defies the rulings of the International Court of Justice and constitutes a severe violation of international law and international humanitarian law”.
The Palestinian presidency and Hamas have accused Israel of committing a “massacre” by targeting a centre for displaced people near Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s army said it had killed two senior Hamas officials in an air strike on a compound in the city and said it was aware of reports that civilians had been harmed in the incident and that it was “under review”.
“The strike was carried out against legitimate targets under international law”, it said.