Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged on Monday that a "tragic mistake" occurred after an Israeli airstrike on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza ignited a fire in a camp housing Palestinian displaced persons, resulting in the death of at least 45 people, according to local officials.

The strike intensified the growing international criticism facing Israel over its war with Hamas, as even its closest allies expressed outrage over civilian casualties. Israel insists it is adhering to international law even as it faces scrutiny from the highest courts in the world, one of which demanded last week to halt the assault in Rafah.

Netanyahu did not clarify the details of the mistake. The Israeli army initially stated that it carried out a precise airstrike on a Hamas compound, resulting in the deaths of two senior militants. As more details about the attack and the gunfire emerged, the army announced that it had opened an investigation into civilian deaths.

The attack on Sunday night, which appeared to be one of the deadliest in the war, raised the total number of Palestinian fatalities in the conflict to over 36,000, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and non-fighters.

Netanyahu stated in a speech to the Israeli parliament on Monday: "Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, a tragic mistake occurred last night." He added, "We are investigating the incident and will reach a conclusion as this is our policy."

Mohammed Abu Asa, who rushed to the scene in the Tal Sultan neighborhood in the northwest of the country, said that rescuers "pulled out people who were in unbearable condition."

He said: "We pulled out children who were in pieces. We pulled out young people and the elderly. The fire in the camp was real."

At least 45 people were killed, according to the Gaza health ministry and the rescue service of the Palestinian Red Crescent. The ministry reported that among the dead were at least 12 women, eight children, and three elderly individuals, and three other bodies were burned to the extent that they could no longer be identified.

In a separate development, the Egyptian army reported that one of its soldiers was shot during an exchange of fire in the Rafah area, providing no further details. Israel stated that it was in contact with the Egyptian authorities, and both sides indicated that they were conducting an investigation.

Cairo News reported that a preliminary investigation concluded that the soldier responded to an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants. Egypt warned that the Israeli incursion into Rafah could threaten the peace treaty signed between the two countries decades ago.

Rafah, a city located in the far southern Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt, housed over a million people—about half of Gaza's population—who were displaced from other parts of the territory. Most of them fled again since Israel launched what it described as a limited incursion there earlier this month. Hundreds of thousands are crammed into desperate camps in the city and its surroundings.

Elsewhere in Rafah, the director of Kuwait Hospital, one of the last functioning medical centers in the city, stated that it had been closed and that staff would be moving to a field hospital. Dr. Suhaib Al-Hams said the decision was made after two healthcare workers were killed on Monday at the hospital entrance.

Netanyahu mentioned that Israel must destroy what it says are the last remaining Hamas brigades in Rafah. The armed movement launched a barrage of rockets on Sunday from the city toward densely populated central Israel, triggering air raid sirens but causing no casualties.

The attack on Rafah has brought a new wave of condemnation, even from Israel's strongest supporters.

The U.S. National Security Council stated in its announcement that the "devastating images" of the strike on Rafah "break the heart." It added that the United States is working with the Israeli army and others to assess what happened.

French President Emmanuel Macron was more explicit, stating in a post on platform X that "these operations must stop." He wrote, "There are no safe zones in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire."

The German Foreign Ministry, which has been one of Israel's staunchest supporters for decades, stated that "the images of charred bodies, including children, from the airstrike on Rafah are unbearable."

The ministry added: "The exact circumstances must be clarified, and the investigation announced by the Israeli army must be prompt." "There must finally be better protection for the civilian population."

Qatar, a key mediator in attempts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas, stated that the attack on Rafah could "complicate" the talks. Negotiations, which seem to be resuming, have repeatedly stalled due to Hamas's demands for a permanent truce and a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, conditions that Israeli leaders have publicly rejected.

Israel's chief legal officer, Major General Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi, stated that authorities are reviewing the strike in Rafah, and the army regrets the loss of civilian lives.

Speaking at a conference for Israeli lawyers, Tomer Yerushalmi stated that Israel has opened 70 criminal investigations into potential violations of international law, including civilian deaths, the conditions in a detention facility holding suspected militants, and the death of some prisoners in Israeli jails. He added that incidents of property crimes and looting are also being examined.

Israel has long maintained that it has an independent judiciary capable of investigating violations and prosecuting perpetrators. However, human rights groups argue that Israeli authorities routinely fail to conduct a thorough investigation into acts of violence against Palestinians, and even when soldiers are held accountable, the penalties are usually light.

Israel denied the claims of genocide raised by South Africa against it at the International Court of Justice. Last week, the court ordered Israel to halt its assault on Rafah, a ruling that is outside its power to enforce.

Separately, the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, as well as three Hamas leaders, concerning alleged war-related crimes. The ICC only intervenes when it concludes that the state in question is unable or unwilling to properly prosecute such crimes.

Israel claims it is doing its utmost to comply with the laws of war and that it faces an enemy that does not adhere to such commitments, operates in civilian areas, and refuses to release Israeli hostages unconditionally.

Hamas sparked the war with its attack on Israel on October 7, during which Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostages. Hamas still holds approximately 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 others after most of the rest were released during a ceasefire last year.

Approximately 80% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have fled their homes, severe hunger is widespread, and United Nations officials report that parts of the territory are suffering from famine.