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Israeli strikes on southern Gaza city of Rafah kill 22, mostly children, as US advances aid package

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April 21, 2024 at 7:16 p.m. EDT
Relatives mourn over the body of a Palestinian man, draped in the Islamic Jihad militant group flags, during his funeral in the Nur Shams refugee camp, near the West Bank town of Tulkarem, Sunday, April 21, 2024. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said 14 bodies have been recovered from the Nur Shams urban refugee camp since an Israeli military operation began in the area Thursday night. The Islamic Jihad militant group confirmed the deaths of three members. Another killed was a 15-year-old boy. The Israeli army said its forces killed 10 militants in the camp and surrounding areas while eight suspects were arrested. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight killed 22 people, including 18 children, health officials said Sunday, as the United States was on track to approve billions of dollars of additional military aid to Israel, its close ally.

Israel has carried out near-daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has sought refuge from fighting elsewhere. It has also vowed to expand its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group to the city on the border with Egypt despite calls for restraint, including from the U.S.