KUALA LUMPUR: Scores of people, including young children, ran frantically in search of cover after the Israeli army launched a deadly nighttime assault at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah last Sunday (May 26).
While rescuers worked around the clock to pull survivors out of the wreckage, footage obtained by CNN showed that there were scores of burned bodies, including those of children.
As global outrage continued to mount over the incident, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "tragic mistake" and has promised to launch an investigation into the matter.
The deadly strike came just days after the International Court of Justice (ICC) ordered Israel to halt its offensive in the city of Rafah. The call also came after several humanitarian organisations urged the UN Security Council to enforce the court's orders, saying "immediate action is required."
As leaders and aid agencies around the world continued to condemn the attack, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed his disappointment over the current development in Gaza, as there is no sign that the Zionist tyranny over Palestine will be stopped.
Anwar had earlier said: "..I was very disturbed because it's like the world is disappointing us. They talk about democracy, about humanity, about being highly civilised people, but their dignity and values are still bland, still not respecting others, that's why the future of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, is still bleak."
More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, Gaza's health ministry says.
Israel launched the operation after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities on Oct 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Here are some of what the international communities are saying:
1. "The horror must stop. There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop." - UN chief Antònio Guterres
2. "Whether the attack was a war crime or a 'tragic mistake' for the people of Gaza, there is no debate. What happened during the latest attack– and possibly most cruel – abomination." - UN relief chief Martin Griffiths
3. "Outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire. - French President Emmanuel Macron.
4. "The images of charred bodies, including children, from the airstrike in Rafah are unbearable." German's Foreign Ministry.
5. "Türkiye will do everything in its power to ensure those (Israeli) barbarians are brought to justice for crimes they committed." - President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
6. "Complete disregard for the lives of civilians." - Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières).
7. "Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians." - US National Security Council spokesperson.
8. "The scenes from Rafah last night (Sunday) are harrowing, and some victims were reportedly burned to death." - Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
9. "The Israeli authorities need to adhere to the decision of the International Court of Justice calling for an end to the military attacks on Rafah. The strike is a serious violation of international laws and this would complicate the ongoing mediation efforts." - Qatari Foreign Ministry
10. "The deliberate bombing of the tents of displaced people... it's a heinous massacre." - Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.