Hamas claimed responsibility Sunday for a barrage of rockets fired from the town of Rafah toward the Kerem Shalom border crossing, which is responsible for the entry of trucks of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
There were several casualties. The Times of Israel reported:
At least seven people were wounded in the Hamas rocket attack on the Kerem Shalom area, according to Hebrew-language media reports.
Several of those hurt in the attack are listed in serious condition, the reports say.
Hamas previously attacked the crossing during the 2021 conflict with Israel, again endangering the flow of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
The timing of the attack could be very consequential, as negotiations are underway in Cairo, Egypt, on a hostage deal. Israel has said that it is determined to attack Hamas’s last stronghold in Rafah, with or without a deal. Hamas says it will not release hostages if Israel does not agree to end the war and to refrain from attacking its forces in Rafah.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) closed the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main entry point of humanitarian aid from Israel directly into Gaza. The IDF also retaliated Sunday with helicopter attacks on the sources of rocket fire in Rafah.
Israelis reacted with alarm to the Hamas attack. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett posted on X / Twitter:
Hamas just shot mortars on the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is a central entry point for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Yes, they’re bombing their own lifeline of food and aid.
This is yet another example of Hamas’ perverse strategy: to Kill their own people in order to hurt…
— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) May 5, 2024
According to Abu Ali Express, which monitors Arab media, the Palestinian Fatah party, Hamas’s “moderate” rival, criticized Hamas for the attack on Keren Shalom, saying the terror group had given Israel an excuse to attack Rafah.
Update: The IDF released video of the rocket fire, which apparently came from just a few hundred yards away:
מוקדם יותר היום זוהו כעשרה שיגורים שחצו מסמוך למעבר רפיח לעבר מרחב כרם שלום. זמן קצר לאחר מכן מטוסי קרב, בהובלת אוגדת עזה תקפו את המשגר שביצע את השיגורים לעבר המרחב. בנוסף, מטוסי קרב תקפו מבנה צבאי במרחב השיגור>> pic.twitter.com/gGEmiHCEEL
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 5, 2024
According to the Times of Israel, the rocket attacked injured 10 people. The IDF said that it hit the launchers and a nearby building that was being used by Hamas.
Update: Three of the wounded have died. They are IDF soldiers: Mordechai Assouline, 19; Ido Testa, 19; and Tal Shavit, 21.