21 dead as Israeli tanks hit another evacuation zone west of Rafah

It comes two days after strike on camp that drew condemnation from global leaders

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Israeli tank fire on a tent camp in an evacuation area west of the southern Gaza city of Rafah killed at least 21 people on May 28, two days after an air strike on another camp stirred global condemnation.

Gaza emergency services said four tank shells hit a cluster of tents in Al-Mawasi, a coastal area that Israel has advised civilians in Rafah to move to for safety.

At least 12 of the dead were women. An Israeli military spokesman said: "As of this time, we are not aware of this incident." In central Rafah, tanks and armoured vehicles mounted with machine guns were spotted near the Al-Awda mosque. The Israeli military said its forces continued to operate in the city, without commenting on reported advances into the city centre.

International unease over Israel's three-week-old Rafah offensive has turned into outrage after an attack on May 26 set off a blaze in a tent camp in a western district of the city, killing at least 45 people.

Israel said it targeted Hamas commanders and had not intended to cause civilian casualties.

Global leaders voiced horror at the fire in what was supposed to be a designated "humanitarian zone" of Rafah, where families uprooted by fighting elsewhere had sought shelter, and urged the implementation of a World Court order last week for a halt to Israel's assault.

The Israeli military said it is investigating the possibility that munitions stored near a compound in Gaza that was hit by an air strike may have caught fire, causing the deadly blaze.