Israel’s airstrike attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah over the weekend has ignited international outrage and condemnation from the Australian government. Fifty displaced Palestinians were killed and many others were left wounded.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong responded to the attack on X, labelling the Israel’s strikes as “horrific” and with “unacceptable consequences”.

“Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields and lay down its arms,” she said.

Two days prior to the strike, Israel was ordered by the International Court of Justice to cease its military operation in Rafah, the designated area where the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million population had taken refuge prior to Israel’s recent attack. Tens of thousands of people remain in the area while many others have fled.

Footage obtained from CNN the scene of the airstrike showed mass destruction on the camp site where fires broke out and tore through tents, burning people alive. The Gaza Health Ministry said that most of those who were killed and injured were women, children and elderly people.

The Israel Defence Forces said it was attempting a precision strike on senior Hamas militants. The operation in Rafah killed the chief of staff for Hamas in the West Bank as well as another figure responsible for assaults against Israel.

“The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review,” they said.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the airstrike was a mistake and “something unfortunately went tragically wrong”.

“We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy,” he said.

French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron posted on X and said there are “no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians”.

“I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire,” he said.

Photo: israeli military checkpoint by Parker Seybold is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons License. This image has not been modified.