Israel Kills at Least 22 Palestinians in Rafah

A house damaged in an Israeli strike lies in ruin, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 29, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
A house damaged in an Israeli strike lies in ruin, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 29, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
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Israel Kills at Least 22 Palestinians in Rafah

A house damaged in an Israeli strike lies in ruin, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 29, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
A house damaged in an Israeli strike lies in ruin, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, April 29, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

Israeli airstrikes on three houses in the southern Gaza city of Rafah killed at least 22 Palestinians and wounded many others, medics said on Monday.

Israel has regularly carried out airstrikes on Rafah since the start of the war and has threatened to send in ground troops, saying Rafah is the last major Hamas stronghold in the coastal enclave. Over a million Palestinians have sought refuge in the city on the Egyptian border.

An assault on Rafah has been anticipated for weeks but foreign governments and the United Nations have expressed concern that such action could result in a humanitarian disaster given the number of displaced people crammed into the area.

The overnight strikes hit three family homes. The first killed 11 people, including four siblings aged 9 to 27, according to records at the Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital, where the bodies were taken. The second strike killed eight people, including a 33-year-old father and his 5-day-old boy, according to hospital records. The third strike killed three siblings, aged 23, 19 and 12.



Jordanian Government: Supporting Palestine Should Not Come at Expense of National Stability

Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Momani (X)
Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Momani (X)
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Jordanian Government: Supporting Palestine Should Not Come at Expense of National Stability

Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Momani (X)
Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Momani (X)

Jordan’s Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Momani said on Saturday that supporting the Palestinian cause should not come at the expense of his country’s national stability but should be expressed through unity behind the Hashemite leadership, the Arab Army, and the security agencies.

Momani stressed that King Abdullah II’s positions in defending Palestinian rights and supporting steadfastness in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza remain firm, employing all political, diplomatic, and humanitarian tools, according to Jordan’s official news agency, Petra.

Momani, who is also the government spokesperson, said Jordan’s position on Palestine is clear and unwavering, centered on the right of Palestinians to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also stressed that Jordan’s support stems from religious, moral, and humanitarian obligations and that the creation of a Palestinian state is a vital national interest for Jordan.

On April 15, Jordan announced the arrest of 16 people for allegedly planning to target national security and sow “chaos.”

Amman said the suspects were arrested for “manufacturing rockets using local tools as well as tools imported for illegal purposes, possession of explosives and firearms, concealing a rocket ready to be deployed, planning to manufacture drones, and recruiting and training operatives in Jordan as well as training them abroad.”

Later, Interior Minister Mazen Fraya said Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood.

Fraya said all the activities of the group would be banned and anyone promoting its ideology would be held accountable by law.

The ban includes publishing anything by the group and closure and confiscation of all its offices and property, he added.