Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged a “tragic mishap” in an Israeli airstrike on a camp housing displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which resulted in a devastating fire and significant loss of life.

The strike, which occurred on Sunday night, has drawn widespread international condemnation, with even Israel’s closest allies expressing outrage over the high civilian death toll.

According to local officials, at least 45 people were killed in the strike, including women, children, and elderly individuals.

The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that the overall Palestinian death toll in the war has now surpassed 36,000.

Netanyahu stated that Israel is investigating the incident and will determine the cause of the “tragic mishap.”

He emphasized that Israel makes every effort to avoid harming innocent civilians, but sometimes mistakes occur.

The strike on Rafah has sparked a new wave of international criticism, with even the United States expressing concern over the “devastating images” emerging from the scene.

The UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Rafah, and Egypt has warned that Israel’s actions could threaten their decades-old peace treaty.

The incident has also led to a shutdown of the Kuwait Hospital, one of the last functioning medical centers in Rafah, after two health workers were killed in a strike on Monday.

The hospital’s director, Dr. Suhaib al-Hamas, announced that staff members are relocating to a field hospital due to the deteriorating situation.

Netanyahu has reiterated Israel’s commitment to destroying what he claims are Hamas’ last remaining battalions in Rafah, despite growing international pressure to halt the offensive.

The situation remains highly volatile, with hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians packed into squalid tent camps in and around Rafah.