12 February 2024 Rafah strikes

Last updated

Super Bowl massacre
Part of the background of the Rafah offensive and Israel–Hamas war
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Rafah
Location Rafah, southern Gaza Strip
Coordinates 31°16′21″N34°15′31″E / 31.27250°N 34.25861°E / 31.27250; 34.25861
Date12 February 2024
Attack type
 Airstrikes, massacre
Deaths83–100+
InjuredUnknown
PerpetratorsIsrael Air Force Flag.svg  Israeli Air Force

On 12 February 2024, Israel Defense Forces launched an assault on Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip, killing over 83 people. [1] [2] The killings were known in Arab media and social media as the Super Bowl Massacre [3] as they coincided with Super Bowl LVIII. [4] [5] The airstrikes destroyed at least one mosque and multiple inhabited homes, killing most or all of their occupants.

Contents

Israeli government sources linked the airstrikes to its hostage rescue operation, Operation Golden Hand, describing the airstrikes as a diversion or "covering fire." [2] [6] [7] Israel freed two hostages in that operation. [8] The strikes came as Israel proposed a ground invasion of the city, which caused international concern. [9]

Casualties from the Israeli bombings began to reported by 2:30am and 20 were confirmed dead by 5:30am. [10] The total number of deaths was estimated as at least 94 people according to the Palestinian Health Ministry [11] and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society has estimated the death toll to be over 100. [12] According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, which pulled information from Rafah hospitals the dead included at least 27 children and 22 women. [13] The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor compiled a list of 83 people killed, of whom 29 were children and another third were women (as identified by their names). [2]

Background

On October 7, 2023, Hamas led an invasion into Israel, which led to the death of 1,100 Israelis and taking hundreds hostage. [14] This event was the catalyst for the Israel–Hamas war. [15] During four months of Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, over 28,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of whom were civilians. [16] The war has led to an international wave of protests and calls for Israel to be charged with genocide, with Israel adamant that the war won't stop until all of the hostages are freed and Hamas is dissolved. [17]

In October 2023, Israel ordered evacuations in Northern Gaza for Israeli operations against Hamas, causing concern from human rights groups. [18] Previous evacuation orders had instructed Palestinian civilians to go to Rafah, leading to the area to hold about 1.4 million Palestinians. Israeli officials have raised allegations that they believe senior Hamas officials are sheltering in Rafah along with the remaining hostages. Many of the evacuees are in overcrowded conditions within Rafah, with many crowded into houses or tents, with some even sleeping on the streets with no cover. [19] Rafah is reportedly the last major population center in Gaza not occupied by the IDF, with others that have taken over reported as wastelands with total destruction, bodies left in the streets and civilians resorting to drinking out of toilets for water. [1]

In February 2024, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the IDF to plan evacuations in Rafah, which along with the airstrikes has caused concern from organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations. [20] [21] [22] Netanyahu reportedly spoke against calls for Israel to avoid carrying out a military offensive in Rafah claiming it was a smuggling haven for Hamas. [23]

Airstrikes

According to the Associated Press, Israeli airstrikes on Rafah began at 1:50am local time on 12 February, one minute after the start of a hostage rescue operation in a house in the Shaboura area of Rafah. [10] The Israeli military claimed that it had conducted a series of airstrikes on targets in the Shaboura area of Rafah, while the Rafah municipality claimed at least two mosques and about a dozen homes were targeted. [1] Reporting and analysis of satellite imagery concluded that the airstrikes extended far beyond Shaboura. [2]

The Israeli government stated that the night's airstrikes, that resulted in the deaths of at least 67 civilians, were conducted as a diversion in order to rescue two hostages. [24] Israeli intentions with the strikes, as described by military spokesman Major Nir Dinar were: "to hit Hamas military command centers, confuse the militants, sever contact between the hostages’ captors and their commanders, and provide cover for the escape." [25]

A civilian who had been sheltering in Rafah stated that the night was indescribable, and he and others around him thought that the IDF was invading Rafah due to the amount of airstrikes. [26] Among the locations struck were the Al-Huda mosque, and the family homes of the Abu-Jazar, Hassouna, and Al-Shaer families. Libération newspaper geolocated these sites as between 1.5 and 2.2 kilometers away from the hostage rescue. [2] Eighteen members of the Abu-Jazar family were killed in their home in the Badr refugee camp, including an infant and three young Qwaider children who were cousins of the Abu-Jazars. [2] The Hassouna family, who rented a house after fleeing violence elsewhere in Gaza, was attacked by an airstrike to their one-story house, which was destroyed, killing eight family members, including two children. [27] Among them was Sidra Hassouna, who was thrown out of the building and left hanging from a wall. Photos of Sidra Hassouna's lifeless body widely circulated on social media. The Hasounas were relatives of Palestine's Ambassador the UK, Husam Zomlot. [28] Eight members of the Al-Shaer family, spanning three generations, were killed in their home, which was collapsed by an airstrike. [2] Other sites were struck and the AP reported that the airstrikes "flatten[ed] several residential blocks in a built-up refugee camp." [10] Following the hostage rescue operation, the site where the hostages were held was leveled. [2]

The Al-Huda mosque was largely destroyed, [2] [29] but parishioners held worship services in the remains of the building on February 23. [30]

These actions have been interpreted as possible war crimes. [31] [32]

Hostage rescue

The rescue mission is the second successful rescue mission of a hostage during the Israel-Hamas war, with the first occurring on October 30, 2023. [33] An IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari, told reporters the rescue attempt was a covert operation and happened at around 1:49 am local time, with the airstrikes following a few minutes later. [1] IDF soldiers reportedly broke into a second floor apartment where the men were being held, and fired against militants guarding them throughout the building. When the airstrikes began the soldiers reportedly covered the hostages with their bodies to protect from debris. The rescue attempt lasted about an hour and resulted in the deaths of two IDF soldiers. [33] The reported hostages were identified as Fernando Simon Marman (aged 60) and Luis Har (aged 70), who are both dual Israeli-Argentine citizens and had been kidnapped from the Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. [19] [33]

Superbowl

Some commentators pointed out that millions of Americans were celebrating the Super Bowl simultaneously as dozens of Palestinians were being killed. [5] [34] Jewish Voices for Peace stated "The Israeli military is bombing Rafah, the most densely populated area in the world, while Americans watch the Super Bowl. This is intentional." [4] The SuperBowl also aired several ads that pushed the narrative that Israel was at war with Hamas, without mentioning the 29,000 Palestinians who had been killed by the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. [5] The ads were sponsored by the Israeli government and cost an estimated $7 million. [4] The Federal Communications Commission received 10,000 complaints about the ad, as it did not disclose that it was paid for by a foreign government. [35]

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee stated that the attacks on Rafah were planned to coincide with the SuperBowl as Israel knew the American public would not be paying attention on other news on that day. [4] Dave Zirin also said that Israel influencing the American public through ads, as it killed dozens of Palestinians, was "more like military synergy than happenstance." [26]

Aftermath

A Hamas spokesperson called the airstrikes a series of "horrific massacres against defenseless civilians and displaced children, women and the elderly". [33]

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan has stated that the reports coming from Rafah were cause for deep concern and seemed to be ignoring laws of armed conflict. [19] Some such as sports commentator Dave Zirin called it the "Super Bowl Massacre" due to their concurrence with Super Bowl LVIII. [36] [37] [ unreliable source? ] Harvard University students participated in a "die-in" at Widener Library to protest against the airstrikes, which was publicized online by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, and other groups. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafah</span> Palestinian city in southern Gaza Strip

Rafah is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. It is the capital of the Rafah Governorate of the State of Palestine, located 30 kilometers (19 mi) south-west of Gaza City. In 2017, Rafah had a population of 171,889. As a result of massive bombardment and ground assaults in Gaza City and Khan Yunis by Israel during the Israel–Hamas war, about 1.4 million Palestinians are believed to be sheltering in Rafah as of February 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuseirat refugee camp</span> Refugee camp in Deir al-Balah, State of Palestine

Nuseirat is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the middle of the Gaza Strip, five kilometers north-east of Deir al-Balah. The refugee camp is in the Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the refugee camp had a population of 31,747 and the surrounding Nuseirat municipality had a population of 54,851 in 2017. The camp was established after the 1948 Palestinian expulsion during the 1948 Palestine war.

The year 2023 in Israel was defined first by wide-scale protests against a proposed judicial reform, and then by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, which led to a war and to Israel invading the Gaza Strip.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel–Hamas war</span> Ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East

An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place chiefly in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. Clashes have also occurred in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and with Hezbollah along the Israel–Lebanon–Golan Heights border. The fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008, it is part of the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and the most significant military engagement in the region since the Yom Kippur War 50 years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip (2023–present)</span> Israeli military operation

The Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip is an ongoing part of the Israel-Hamas war. Immediately after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Israel began the bombing of Gaza Strip. On 13 October Israel began ground operations in Gaza in the form of small incursions and overnight raids. On the night of 27 October, Israel launched a full-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli campaign, called Operation Swords of Iron, has two primary goals: to destroy Hamas and to free the hostages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaza Strip evacuations</span> State-ordered displacement

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugee camp airstrikes in the Israel–Hamas war</span> Airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and West Bank

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Events of the year 2024 in Israel.

Events in 2024 in the Palestinian territories.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafah offensive</span> Ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip

On 6 May 2024, Israel began a military offensive in and around the city of Rafah as part of its invasion of the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Golden Hand</span> Israeli rescue operation of hostages from Rafah

Operation Golden Hand was an IDF operation in cooperation with the Shin Bet and Yamam for the rescue of two hostages who were kidnapped to Rafah during the Nir Yitzhak attack on 7 October, 2023. The operation commenced on February 12, 2024, at 1:49 AM during combat in the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war, and ended successfully with the rescue of the hostages, along with a soldier who was lightly injured during the operation. The coordinated early morning airstrikes that were used as cover for the operation caused the deaths of at least 94 Palestinians according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Sidra Hassouna was a 7-year-old Palestinian girl from the northern Gaza Strip who, along with her family as well as over 75 others, were killed during a series of airstrikes in Rafah carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on 12 February 2024. As a result of the attack, Hassouna, her twin sister, 15-month old brother, parents, grandparents and uncle were killed after the IDF bombed the building they had been sheltering in Rafah, where she had been forcibly displaced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Background of the Rafah offensive</span>

Before the Rafah offensive, Israel conducted airstrikes and threatened to invade the city as part of its invasion of the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war which began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Intentions to invade were declared in February, meeting backlash from the international community because of the estimated 1.4 million refugees sheltering in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Nuseirat rescue operation</span> Israeli operation

The Nuseirat rescue operation was a raid carried out by Yamam, the Shin Bet and Israel Defense Forces with support from the United States in the Nuseirat refugee camp on 8 June 2024 to recover hostages taken from the Re'im music festival massacre during the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.

On 8 June 2024, during a rescue operation carried out by Yamam, the Shin Bet and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units in the UNRWA Nuseirat refugee camp, at least 276 Palestinians were killed and over 698 injured, according to the Hamas media office and Palestinian health officials from Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital and Al-Awda Hospital. According to reports, Al-Aqsa Hospital was overwhelmed with casualties, while communications were disrupted by intense Israeli bombing. Four Israeli hostages held by Hamas at Nuseirat were rescued in the operation, including Noa Argamani. Hamas claimed that three other hostages were killed, including an American hostage, but the IDF rejects this claim.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Regan, Helen; Salman, Abeer (2024-02-12). "Israeli airstrikes kill more than 100 in Rafah as international alarm mounts over anticipated ground offensive". CNN. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horn, Alexandre. "«Massacre du Super Bowl» à Rafah : les frappes de Tsahal lors de la libération des otages ont tué des dizaines de civils, dont une trentaine d'enfants". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  3. ↑ Horn, Alexandre. "«Massacre du Super Bowl» à Rafah : les frappes de Tsahal lors de la libération des otages ont tué des dizaines de civils, dont une trentaine d'enfants". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-28. Mais si la nuit du 11 au 12 février est associée, en Israël, à ce succès, elle porte pour les Gazaouis le nom funeste de «massacre du Super Bowl»
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Israel Super Bowl ad sells Gaza war to NFL football audience". newarab.com. 12 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Harmon, Katelin (February 19, 2024). "Americans let the Super Bowl distract them from the attacks on Rafah". Daily Tarheel.
  6. ↑ Kingsley, Patrick (2024-02-12). "Here is how Israel said it freed 2 hostages from Gaza". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  7. ↑ Ravid, Barak (2024-02-12). "Israeli military rescues two hostages held in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials say". Axios. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  8. ↑ Kingsley, Patrick; Yazbek, Hiba (2024-02-12). "Israeli Raid in Rafah Rescues 2 Hostages and Kills Dozens, Officials Say". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  9. ↑ Pérez-Peña, Richard (2024-02-12). "U.S., U.N. and International Criminal Court Intensify Warnings Against Invading Rafah". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  10. 1 2 3 "Timeline of the Israeli raid in Gaza that rescued two hostages and killed dozens of Palestinians". AP News. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  11. ↑ Regan, Helen (2024-02-12). "Israeli airstrikes kill more than 100 in Rafah as international alarm mounts over anticipated ground offensive". CNN. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  12. 1 2 Edwards, Sally; Sonnad-Joshi, Aran (February 12, 2024). "Nearly 200 Harvard Students Hold 'Die-In' Protesting Airstrikes on Rafah | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  13. ↑ "Airstrike from Israeli hostage rescue wipes out entire Palestinian family in Gaza border town". AP News. 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  14. ↑ Boxerman, Aaron (2023-11-10). "Israel-Hamas War: Israel Lowers Oct. 7 Death Toll Estimate to 1,200". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  15. ↑ "Hamas surprise attack out of Gaza stuns Israel and leaves hundreds dead in fighting, retaliation". AP News. 2023-10-07. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  16. ↑ "Gaza death toll passes 28,000 as Israeli assault on Rafah looms". euronews. 2024-02-10. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  17. ↑ "Netanyahu rejects Hamas's proposed ceasefire terms". BBC News. 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  18. ↑ "Why Israel's Gaza Evacuation Order is So Alarming | Human Rights Watch". 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  19. 1 2 3 Berger, Miriam; Loveluck, Louisa; Harb, Hajar (February 12, 2024). "Panic mounts in Rafah over looming Israeli offensive after night strikes". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Netanyahu orders military to plan Rafah evacuation". BBC News. 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  21. ↑ Said, Summer; Jones, Rory; Keller-Lynn, Carrie (12 Feb 2024). "Israel Proposes Rafah Evacuation Despite U.S. Concerns". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  22. ↑ "UN 'will not be party' to Rafah evacuation due to lack of safe refuge in Gaza". Times of Israel. Feb 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  23. ↑ Fabian, Emanuel (11 February 2024). "PM says Rafah offensive key to victory as Hamas threatens to torpedo hostage talks". The Times of Israel. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  24. ↑ Ravid, Barak (11 Feb 2024). "Israeli military rescues two hostages held in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials say". Axios. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  25. ↑ Kingsley, Patrick (2024-02-12). "Middle East Crisis: How Israeli Commandos Rescued 2 Hostages in Gaza". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  26. 1 2 Zirin, Dave (2024-02-12). "The First Thing We Should Remember About the Super Bowl Is the Massacre". ISSN   0027-8378 . Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  27. ↑ "Airstrike from Israeli hostage rescue wipes out entire Palestinian family in Gaza border town". AP News. 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  28. ↑ Sinmaz, Emine (2024-02-16). "Palestinian ambassador to UK says eight relatives killed in Israeli strikes in Rafah". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  29. ↑ "Israel Is Counting on Middle East Neighbors to Help Rebuild Gaza". Bloomberg.com. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  30. ↑ "Palestinians perform Friday prayers in the ruins of Al-Huda Mosque". EPA. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  31. ↑ Deutsch, Anthony (13 Feb 2024). "ICC prosecutor 'deeply concerned' by situation in Gaza's Rafah". Reuters. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  32. ↑ Bicer, Aysu. "Amnesty UK report gives evidence on possible war crimes by Israel in Gaza city of Rafah". AA. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  33. 1 2 3 4 Rubin, Shira (February 12, 2024). "Israeli army rescues two hostages amid deadly airstrikes on Rafah". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  34. ↑ DC, Brooke Anderson ــ Washington (2024-02-13). "Biden mocks opponents over Super Bowl as Israel bombs Rafah". newarab.com. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  35. ↑ Zirin, Dave (2024-02-12). "The First Thing We Should Remember About the Super Bowl Is the Massacre". ISSN   0027-8378 . Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  36. ↑ Zirin, Dave (12 Feb 2024). "The First Thing We Should Remember About the Super Bowl Is the Massacre". The Nation. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  37. ↑ Crimmins, Tricia (12 Feb 2024). "'I doubt this is a coincidence': Israel's bombing of Rafah during the big game dubbed 'Super Bowl Massacre'". Daily Dot. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
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