Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah, Gaza, May 27, 2024. /CFP
The Palestinian presidency on Monday expressed readiness to immediately work on reopening the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, while Israel faced a wave of international condemnation for a strike on tents housing displaced civilians in northwestern Rafah.
In a statement carried by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, the presidency said that the Palestinian side is ready to immediately work on reopening the Rafah crossing under an agreement signed for the management of crossings in 2005.
It came in response to statements by the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, who announced earlier that the EU agreed to reactivate its border assistance mission in Rafah.
Borrell's statements came as the Rafah crossing, a main entry point for aid to Gaza, has been closed for nearly three weeks since Israeli forces took control of it from the Gazan side.
The Israeli air strike on Sunday evening targeted tents in a newly established camp for displaced civilians in Rafah, which the local security forces told AFP "was supposed to be safe based on the classification by the Israeli army." Israel claimed to have killed two Hamas officials in the attack.
Israel said it was looking into the "tragic accident" and its impact on civilians after the latest mass casualty event in the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has raged since October 7.
In response to the attack, Hamas has informed mediators that it will not participate in any negotiation for a ceasefire in Gaza or a prisoner exchange deal, a source in the movement said on Monday.
Israeli soldiers during military operations in the Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. /CFP
The strike has drawn condemnation from multiple countries and international agencies.
Among regional governments, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the Israeli attack has led to another "horrendous" killing of Palestinian civilians. In a post on social media platform X, he said the strike was a flagrant instance of "war crimes" and "in conspicuous violation" of the ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called the deadly strike in Rafah a "massacre."
"There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres posted on social media, as diplomats said the UN Security Council will convene on Tuesday in an emergency session to discuss the attack.
A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said Israel "must take every precaution possible to protect civilians."
So far, Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,050 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's Health Ministry.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which has been central to aid operations in the besieged territory during the conflict, posted on X that "with every day passing, providing assistance & protection becomes nearly impossible."
On Tuesday, Spain, Ireland and Norway are due to formally recognize a Palestinian state – a step so far taken by more than 140 UN members, but few Western powers.
Israel opposed the move and on Monday announced punitive steps against Madrid, ordering its consulate in Jerusalem to stop offering services to Palestinians from June 1.
(With input from agencies)