Israel-Hamas war: Israel strikes Rafah after Hamas barrage

Israeli air strikes hit a camp for displaced people northwest of Rafah, killing and injuring many, the Palestinian Red Crescent said in an online post.

"Currently, numerous individuals remain trapped under the flames and in the tents destroyed by the bombardment," they said, adding that the location had been designated by Israel as a "humanitarian area."

The post did not provide a death toll, but a Hamas-run media office said at least 35 people were dead. Separately, a civil emergency official told the Reuters news agency at least 20 have died but the final death toll was still being determined.

The Israeli army initially said it was not aware of anything occurring in the area.

Later, it said it launched a strike against "legitimate targets under international law" with precise munitions and "on the basis of precise intelligence" against Hamas militants.

Hamas is designated as a terror group by the US, Germany, Israel, and others.

Commenting on the Sunday strike, the Israeli military also said it was aware of "reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed." The IDF said the incident was "under review." 

A group of protesters disrupted an event featuring Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Berlin over Germany's support for Israel.

While Baerbock was speaking, several protesters displayed banners and shouted accusations against the German government. They claimed Berlin was biased in the conflict and demanded an immediate end to weapon deliveries to Israel.

One of the banners read "Stop the genocide," while another read "Germany's reason of state = genocide" alluding to the phrase often used by Baerbock and other top German politicians where Israel's security is described as a "reason of state" for Germany.

Israel has denied accusations of genocide over its military activity in Gaza.

Engaging the protesters, Baerbock said she wanted all the Israeli hostages to be freed and all humanitarian aid to be allowed to reach Gaza to pave the way for a truce.

"The overwhelming majority on both sides, they want to live in peace and this is exactly what we are working on," she said.

Baerbock also said Israel had a right to defend itself.

The German foreign minister was taking part in the "Demokratiefest" (Democracy Festival) marking 75 years since the adoption of Germany's Basic Law, which guarantees rights and freedoms to everyone living in Germany.

One of the protesters, who described herself as an "anti-Zionist Jew," said her right to free expression was limited when it came to the war in Gaza.

Several people were escorted out by security, with Baerbock urging security to handle them "gently."

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell met with visiting Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Brussels and renewed calls for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Mustafa represents the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority that controls parts of the occupied West Bank.

"We must do everything in our power to reach an immediate end of the hostilities, to achieve the immediate release of all hostages, to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza," Borell said.

Borrell urged people not to "forget what's happening in the West Bank" alongside the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

"There we see an intensified spiral of violence. Indiscriminate and punishing attacks by extremist settlers, more and more targeting humanitarian aid heading to Gaza. And they are heavily armed," he said. "And the question is, who is arming them? And who is not preventing this attack from happening."

Also present at the meeting was Norwegian Foreign Minister Barth Eide.

The statement comes after Norway, Spain and Ireland announced they would recognize Palestinian statehood.

Vital aid from Egypt again began entering the Gaza Strip through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing while the Rafah border crossing remains closed.

A total of 200 trucks had moved from the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing to the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to the Egyptian al-Qahera broadcaster.

The change of crossing comes after a deal between the Egyptian and US governments to circumvent Cairo's refusal to coordinate aid through Rafah — some 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Kerem Shalom — while Israeli troops control the Palestinian side amid their offensive in Gaza.

All aid from Egypt is inspected by Israeli authorities and distributed by the United Nations. The deliveries from Egypt are the first in nearly three weeks, according to the al-Qahera outlet.

Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing is Gaza's main cargo terminal, but has been rendered largely inaccessible amid fighting linked to Israel's offensive.

Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said it had launched a "big missile attack" on Israel's commercial center of Tel Aviv.

In a statement on its Telegram channel on Sunday, the al-Qassam Brigades said the rockets were fired in response to what it called "Zionist massacres against civilians."

Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV said the rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip.

Israel's military said at least eight rockets were fired Sunday toward central Israel from the southern Gaza town of Rafah, where its forces have been battling Palestinian militants.  It added "a number" of the projectiles were intercepted.

Israeli emergency services said they had received no reports of casualties.

Rocket sirens have not been heard in Tel Aviv for four months.

Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the EU, the US and several other countries.

dh/lo (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)