Extract from ABC News
For months Israel has been preparing for an offensive in Gaza's southernmost city – the makeshift home of more than a million people fleeing the conflict.
Rafah, which sits on the border with Egypt, has become a refuge teeming with tent camps over the past six months.
Israel says it is Hamas' last major stronghold but aid organisations and allies have warned against attacking the city.
Even the United Nations' top court ordered Israel to immediately halt its military offensive on Friday.
Two days later, Israeli air strikes hit a Rafah neighbourhood designated for displaced people, according to Palestinian health and civil service officials.
Gaza's Health Ministry said women and children made up most of the 45 people killed and the dozens wounded in the strike.
More than seven missiles were launched by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), starting fires at a compound of refugee camps and a depot for UNRWA.
Rafah Mayor Ahmed Al-Sofi said the IDF had declared the area to be safe.
"The civil defence workers were unable to help anyone and the hospitals ceased to function," he said.
The attack has brought a new wave of condemnation of Israel, even from its strongest supporters.
The US National Security Council said in a statement the "devastating images" from the strike on Rafah were "heartbreaking".
Other nations were more blunt.
The Foreign Office of Germany, which has been a staunch supporter of Israel for decades, said: "The images of charred bodies, including children, from the air strike in Rafah are unbearable."
"The exact circumstances must be clarified, and the investigation announced by the Israeli army must now come quickly," the ministry added.
"The civilian population must finally be better protected."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the air strike was a "tragic mistake" and not intended to harm civilians.
The UN Security Council had scheduled an emergency closed meeting on Tuesday afternoon at the request of Algeria, two council diplomats told the Associated Press.
As an investigation into the incident begins, here's a timeline of some of the key events leading up to the latest developments.
To quickly navigate to a specific month, use the links below.
October
October 7: Hamas launches deadly attack on Israel
Hamas gunmen storm into southern Israel from Gaza.
About 1,200 people are killed and more than 250 are taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares the country is at war, vowing to wipe the militant group "off the face of the earth".
Air strikes on Gaza begin, along with a total siege.
The population of about 2.3 million has already been under a 16-year blockade.
October 12: Israel warns people to evacuate northern Gaza
Israel gives the more than 1 million people who live in northern Gaza 24 hours to evacuate southward.
Hundreds of thousands heed the warning. Others refuse to leave.
October 17: Blast at al-Ahli Hospital kills hundreds
Hundreds are killed when an explosion hits al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City.
The death tolls vary, with US officials saying between 100 to 300 people have been killed.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reports that 471 people have been killed and 342 injured.
October 21: Rafah crossing reopens for aid
After days of diplomatic wrangling, aid trucks are allowed through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza, where food, water, medicines and fuel are running out.
It is a fraction of what is required.
"The supplies currently heading into Gaza will barely begin to address the escalating health needs as hostilities continue to grow," the World Health Organization says in a statement.
Over the coming months, the humanitarian crisis worsens as Israel maintains its blockade.
October 27: Israel launches its ground offensive in Gaza
The Israeli military expands its ground operations, saying the "second stage" of the war against Gaza has begun.
The move goes ahead despite warnings from the US that a full-scale assault may cause heavy civilian casualties.
In an address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterates Israel's appeal to Palestinian civilians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip, but at the time internet and phone connections in Gaza are cut.
October 31: Israeli strikes on Jabalia camp
Israeli strikes on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza kill more than 110 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel's military says it has killed a senior Hamas commander and other militants.
The UN human rights office says given the high number of civilian casualties it has "serious concerns that these are disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes".
November
November 15: Israeli troops raid Al-Shifa hospital
Israeli troops enter Gaza's biggest hospital, Al Shifa, after a siege lasting several days.
Israel says the hospital is being used to conceal an underground headquarters for Hamas fighters, which staff deny.
Within a few weeks, all hospitals serving northern Gaza will cease to function.
November 21: Fighting pauses for prisoner exchange
Israel and Hamas announce a truce, which will last seven days, to exchange hostages held in Gaza for Palestinians detained by Israel, and let in more aid.
About half the hostages — among them women, children and foreigners — are released in return for 240 Palestinian women and teenage detainees before war resumes on December 1.
December
December 4: Israeli forces launch assault in southern Gaza
Israeli forces launch their first big ground assault in southern Gaza, towards the main southern city, Khan Younis.
International organisations say the extension of the war to the entire length of the enclave, including areas already sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced people, drastically worsens the humanitarian crisis.
In the days leading up to the assault, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warns the war in Gaza can only be won by protecting civilians, saying "the centre of gravity is the civilian population".
December 6: UN warns 'nowhere is safe in Gaza'
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres invokes Article 99 of the UN Charter, in a rare move aimed at formally warning the Security Council of the global threat created by the Israel-Gaza war.
He warns public order in Gaza could soon break down amid the complete collapse of the humanitarian system, that there is no effective protection of civilians and that "nowhere is safe in Gaza".
December 12: US condemns 'indiscriminate bombing'
US President Joe Biden says Israel's "indiscriminate bombing" is costing it international support, a shift in rhetoric from Israel's closest ally.
"Israel’s security can rest on the United States, but right now it has more than the United States. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world supporting them," he says.
"They're starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place."
During the coming months, Washington will urge Israel to do more to protect civilians but will continue to provide it with arms.
December 15: Israeli forces mistakenly kill three hostages
Israeli forces mistakenly kill three Israeli hostages in Gaza.
The incident prompts some of the strongest criticism within Israel of the conduct of the war.
The men were shirtless and holding up a white flag, according to an inquiry into the incident.
January
January 1: Israel signals withdrawal from northern Gaza
Israel signals it will start withdrawing from northern parts of Gaza, while intense fighting continues in the south.
The move, which Israel says is intended to shift to more targeted operations against Hamas, appears to coincide with pressure from the US to review tactics and do more to protect civilians.
January 2: Senior Hamas leader killed in Beirut
Saleh Arouri, the second-in-command of Hamas's political office, is killed in an explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
A US defence official says the IDF was responsible for the strike. Hamas says he was killed by an Israeli drone.
January 24: Israeli forces advance through Khan Younis
Israeli forces intensify their effort to encircle Khan Younis.
Tank shells strike a huge United Nations compound sheltering displaced Palestinians, causing "mass casualties" according to the agency.
Following this campaign, more than half of Gaza's population will end up sheltering in Rafah.
January 26: ICJ orders Israel to prevent genocide
The International Court of Justice orders Israel to prevent genocide, but stops short of ordering a halt to fighting.
It says some of Israel's actions could plausibly be violations of the Genocide Convention, which was enacted after the Holocaust.
January 28: Countries pause funds for UNRWA
Australia joins a growing list of countries to pause funding for the United Nations' refugee agency for Palestinians in response to Israeli allegations some of the agency's staff were involved in the October 7 terrorist attacks.
The agency also responds to the allegations by terminating the contracts of some staff members to protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance.
Australia will resume funding in March.
February
February 11: Biden calls Netanyahu over Rafah plans
US President Joe Biden tells Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu in a call that "a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support" for people sheltering there, according to the White House.
February 29: More than 100 killed while queuing for aid
More than 100 Gazans are killed while queuing for aid in the presence of Israeli troops who open fire on them.
It is one of the deadliest incidents of the war.
Palestinian authorities say most were killed with heavy machine guns in a "massacre".
IDF Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner tells ABC News upwards of 30 trucks had been carrying aid intended for shelters in the northern Gaza Strip when they were surrounded by "masses of people" who climbed onto the trucks and attempted to loot the supplies onboard.
He says the vast majority of the casualties were caused by the trucks, which continued to move forward to escape the crowd, resulting in people being run over or trampled.
Pressed on whether Israeli troops had opened fire as claimed by Gaza health officials, Lieutenant Colonel Lerner says an Israeli tank in the middle of the convoy had opened fire "with light munitions, not an artillery round, in warning shots in order to disperse the people from approaching the tank".
The death toll from the current conflict passes 30,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
March
March 9: EU sounds Rafah alarm
The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, warns "Rafah must not be attacked", saying it will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.
He will repeat these warnings in April and May, reiterating there is "no safe zone in Gaza".
March 18: Israel launches new assault on Al-Shifa hospital
Over the next two weeks, Israel claims to kill hundreds of fighters in combat there and arrest hundreds of others.
Medical staff and Hamas deny fighters are present and say many civilians have been killed.
March 18: IPC global hunger monitor projects famine
The IPC global hunger monitor says famine is now projected by May in Gaza.
More than half of Gaza's population — far more than the 20 per cent associated with famine — is already experiencing the worst level of food shortage, category 5 or "catastrophe".
Israel says the methodology is flawed and denies there are food shortages.
March 22: Israel says Rafah plan to go ahead without US support
Mr Netanyahu states Israel will carry out an operation in Rafah, preferably with the support of the US, but "if we have to, we'll do it alone".
The comments come after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with the Israeli war cabinet, and the US says a ground offensive in Rafah would be a "mistake".
March 25: UN Security Council passes resolution calling for ceasefire
The UN Security Council adopts a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The United States abstains from the vote rather than vetoing it, a rare break from Israel.
April
April 1: Israeli air strikes kill seven World Central Kitchen workers
Israeli air strikes on a convoy kill seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen charity, sparking a global outcry and increasing pressure on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza.
Israel apologises and says it was a "grave mistake".
That same day, Iran's embassy compound in Damascus is hit by a suspected Israeli air strike that kills several military officers including a top general.
April 13: Iran attacks Israel
Tehran responds to the embassy strike by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.
Most are intercepted with the help of the United States and other allies, and no-one is killed.
Six days later, Iranian state media reports the explosion of drones in the central Iranian city of Isfahan.
April 19: G7 countries warn against Rafah attacks
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven countries, led by the US, say they oppose a full-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah, warning of catastrophic consequences for the civilian population there.
In an official communique released following a meeting in Italy, the group calls for a "credible and actionable plan" that protects civilians.
April 30: Netanyahu announces Israel will enter Rafah
Mr Netanyahu says the IDF will invade Rafah regardless of the outcome of current ceasefire negotiations.
"We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal, in order to achieve total victory," he says in a statement.
May
May 1: US Secretary of State visits Israel
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Israel and pushes for greater humanitarian aid for Gaza.
"We cannot, will not, support a major military operation in Rafah absent an effective plan to make sure that civilians are not harmed and, no, we've not seen such a plan," Mr Blinken tells reporters.
May 6: Israel orders Rafah evacuations
The Israeli army orders tens of thousands of people in Rafah to start evacuating the area.
It sends out phone messages and drops leaflets.
Shortly beforehand, Hamas approves a proposal put forward by mediators Qatar and Egypt.
Israel says the proposal falls short of its demands.
There is a global reaction to Israel's evacuation order.
"Israel's evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine," the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, says.
May 7: US pauses weapons shipments to Israel
A shipment of weapons from the US to Israel is put on hold to deter Israel from invading Rafah, according to a senior Biden administration official.
May 12: Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah
Israel calls for Palestinians in more areas of Rafah to evacuate and leave for what it calls the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi.
The move is taken as further indication the military is pressing ahead with plans for a ground attack in Rafah.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel doesn’t have a "clear, credible plan to protect civilians".
May 20: Israel vows to broaden military operation in Rafah
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant says there will be no let-up in the IDF's operation in the city.
"We are committed to broadening the ground operation in Rafah to the end of dismantling Hamas and recovering the hostages," a statement from his office says.
May 23: Israel forces move deeper into Rafah
Residents and militants say tanks have taken up new positions farther west than ever before and are now stationed on the edge of a central Rafah suburb.
Palestinian residents say Israeli drones are firing into the suburb of Yibna and at fishing boats on the beach in Rafah, causing some to catch fire.
"There has been no stopping of Israeli fire all night, from drones, helicopters, warplanes, and tanks," one resident of Rafah tells Reuters, asking for his name to be withheld to protect his security.
May 25: World Court orders Israel to halt Rafah operations
In an emergency ruling in South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide, judges at the International Court of Justice order Israel to immediately halt its assault on Rafah.
Israeli officials say the order does not rule out the IDF's entire offensive.
"What they are asking us is not to commit genocide in Rafah," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, says.
"We did not commit genocide and we will not commit genocide."
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