The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday that it targeted a Hamas military asset in the Rafah area of southern Gaza overnight, after Palestinian reports that scores of civilians were hurt in the strike.
In response to a question from CNN regarding reports on the Israeli strike on a residential building in central Rafah, the IDF said, "Overnight, the IDF precisely targeted a military asset used by the Hamas terrorist organization in the area of Rafah."
"Terror activities against Israeli civilians and IDF troops were planned inside this property," the IDF claimed. The military also claimed civilians had been evacuated.
Palestinian news agency WAFA reported earlier that the strike hit a residential building and resulted in civilian injuries. “Scores of civilians sustained various injuries today in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a residential tower in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip,” the WAFA report said.
CNN is unable to independently verify the casualty numbers or claims made by WAFA in its reporting, or the IDF claims in its statement, due to lack of access to wartime Gaza.
A CNN stringer on the ground in Rafah reported that five missiles hit the building. Video obtained by CNN shows smoke billowing out of the building.
CNN's Ibrahim Dahman, Kareem Khadder and Amy Cassidy contributed reporting to this posts.