The facts about the Israeli airstrike in Rafah and the fire that followed are starting to become clear, and they totally change the story:
◾️ The Israeli airstrike that targeted senior Hamas commanders in Rafah was more than a mile away from the safe zone for Palestinian civilians and more than 550 feet away from shelters Hamas had falsely claimed were targeted in the incident
◾️ The munitions used were the smallest possible: two warheads of 37 lbs each, far smaller than what other Western militaries use in comparable situations
◾️ The munitions could not themselves have ignited a fire of the size that resulted in the deaths of Palestinian civilians, indicating that Hamas weapons stored in or near the targeted structure—of which the IDF was unaware—may have exploded and caused the fire
◾️ Footage of the scene taken by Palestinians and uploaded to social media platforms appears to show secondary explosions, further indicating the presence of weapons in the area
◾️ A phone call within Gaza intercepted by Israeli intelligence contained the admission that the structure targeted by the airstrike served as an ammunition warehouse, that secondary explosions took place, and that the Israeli airstrike wasn't powerful enough to have ignited the fire
◾️ Hamas has been operating from the area since October 7; a rocket launcher used to fire rockets into Israel was located 150 feet from the targeted structure, suggesting that additional weapons were likely stored nearby and may have caused the fire
While none of this makes the heartbreaking results of the fire any less dreadful, it does call into question a lot of the reporting surrounding this tragic incident, which appears to have been based on false information put out by Hamas, rather than the facts on the ground.
You'd think news organizations would learn.
You'd be wrong.
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