Middle East

Israeli military says it killed 2 senior Hamas officials in Rafah strike

From CNN's Jeremy Diamond

The Israeli military claims to have killed two senior Hamas officials in its strike on Rafah on Sunday.

The Israel Defense Forces identified the individuals as Yassin Rabia, who it said was the commander of Hamas’ leadership in Judea and Samaria, and Khaled Nagar, who it said was a senior official in the Hamas wing for the same regions.

The military said it made the strike on Tal al-Sultan in northwest Rafah “based on precise intelligence.” It said earlier Sunday that it had struck a Hamas compound in the area.

The IDF also repeated its early statement that it is aware of reports indicating the strike harmed civilians, and that the strikes are under review.

What officials in Gaza are saying: The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said 35 people were killed in the attack and dozens more injured, and that most of them were women and children.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society and Gaza government media officials have said the civilian area hit was a camp for displaced people.

Video obtained by CNN shows tent-like structures on fire. Video from PRCS also show medics walking through a tent, with one PRCS staff member carrying a child.

The Gaza government media office and the Palestinian Emergency Committee in Rafah have condemned the attack, saying the area had been designated a “safe zone” for civilians.

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