THE UN SECURITY Council is convening an emergency meeting today over an Israeli strike that killed dozens of people in a refugee camp Rafah.

The area was supposed to be a “safe” place but at least 45 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in the strike by Israel.

Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has said the strike “underscores once again that there is literally no safe place in Gaza”.

“The images from the camp are horrific and point to no apparent change in the methods and means of warfare used by Israel that have already led to so many civilian deaths,” he said.

Israel said the strike intended to target two senior Hamas members. However, it sparked a fire that raged through a displaced persons centre.

The attack has been internationally condemned, with Palestinians and many Arab countries calling it a “massacre”. Israel said it was looking into the “tragic accident”.

“There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres posted on social media.

This morning, AFP journalists on the ground reported more Israeli strikes overnight in Rafah.

The UN Security Council is set to convene today for an emergency session called by Algeria to discuss the attack.

Displaced Gazan Khalil al-Bahtini was preparing to leave the impacted area, telling AFP yesterday that “last night, the tent opposite to ours was targeted”.

“We have loaded all our belongings, but we don’t know where to go.”

Another survivor, a woman who declined to be named, said: “We heard a loud sound and there was fire all around us. The children were screaming.”

Ireland, along with Spain and Norway, is set to formally recognise the state of Palestine today.

Contains additional reporting by AFP