Death toll in Israeli attack on displaced Palestinians in Rafah rises to 45

But local officials have reported the episode — one that has drawn yet more international condemnation and deepened fears about the bloody conflict.

The strike hit at around 3:00 a.m. local time while most of the victims were sleeping.

The camp, from there, quickly burst into flame — widespread destruction and mayhem. Graphic images shared on social media showed the site ablaze and Palestinians charred beyond recognition running in panic. One video, particularly disturbing, showed a man carrying what seem like the headless body of an infant.

The targeted houses were gradually blown away under the Israeli cannonade as warplanes blitzed Rafah Sunday for a fourth straight day, and world leaders moved to condemn an attack in Rafah later Saturday that saw 12 residents killed when they took shelter in UNWRA schools just days after Israel was ordered by the United Nations’ top court to put its offensives on hold.

The development could threaten a cease-fire negotiated by Qatar, which has become one of the Middle East’s primary mediators in recent years.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the airstrike, which it said targeted two senior Hamas leaders. But they did confirm reports that the blaze had spread into where other civilians were holed up. IDF also promised to investigate the reports and get a comprehensive overview of what in fact happened with this strike.

NBC News could not independently confirm the fighting had stopped but the Gaza health ministry said at least 35 people, mostly women and children were killed in Tal al-Sultan. First responders said numerous victims were trapped amid the flames after the shelling and could raise fatalities.

This massacre is the largest in the city of Rafah in months,” said Muhammad Al-Mughir, a spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense.

He emphasized that the area targeted was a designated “humanitarian area” located next to U.N. warehouses.

Samuel Johann, the emergency coordinator in Gaza for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), said the strike occurred less than a mile from an MSF stabilization point for trauma patients. The facility received dozens of injured individuals, with at least 28 already dead and 180 injured.

One family recounted their narrow escape from the inferno. Hala Siam told NBC News that her family was sheltering in an apartment building when the windows suddenly shattered. “The children got scared. We all went out to the street,” she said, describing the area as previously considered safe. “There is no safe place in Rafah.”

The IDF defended the strike, stating that it targeted Hamas leaders responsible for organizing terrorist attacks in the occupied West Bank.

They reiterated that the operation was conducted against legitimate targets under international law, using precise munitions based on accurate intelligence. The IDF’s statement did not clarify whether the strike had targeted a designated safe zone.

“The IDF regrets any harm to un-involved civilians during the war,” she told a conference hosted by the Israel Bar Association.

Hamas condemned the airstrike as a horrific “massacre” but did not confirm the death of any commanders or senior leaders.

The IDF reported that eight projectiles were launched from Rafah, with several intercepted.

International condemnation grew as details of the Rafah attack emerged.