Israel Denies Its Army Tanks Attacked Refugee Camps West of Rafah, Killing 21 People

JAKARTA - The Israeli military denied attacking the refugee camp tents west of Rafah on Tuesday, May 28.

Gaza health authorities previously said Israeli tank fire killed 21 people in an area designated by Israel as an evacuation zone.

Israeli tanks reportedly pushed into the center of Rafah city for the first time after a major attack, Sunday, May 26.

The United States, Israel's closest ally, reiterated its rejection of a major Israeli ground offensive on Rafah but said it did not believe such an operation was underway.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters a large-scale attack would involve "large numbers of forces in coordinated maneuver formations against multiple targets on the ground."

“It was a major ground operation,” Kirby said. "We haven't seen it yet," he said as reported by Reuters, Wednesday, May 29.

Israeli tanks were previously reported to have attacked a refugee camp in the evacuation area west of Rafah and killed 21 people.

Tanks moved towards the center of southern Gaza city for the first time, Tuesday, May 28.

Two days after an Israeli airstrike on another refugee camp sparked global condemnation, Gaza emergency services said four tank shells hit tents in Al-Mawasi, a coastal region.

A reported 12 of the dead were women, according to medical officials in areas controlled by Hamas militants.

An Israeli military spokesman said: "Until now, we were not aware of this incident."

In the central area of ​​Rafah city, tanks and armored vehicles equipped with machine guns were seen near the Al-Awda mosque, witnesses told Reuters. The Israeli military said its troops continued to operate in the Rafah area.