At least 18 people, including nine children some of whom were just two years old, were killed after Israel struck residential areas in Rafah overnight into Tuesday, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported.
Others were also injured in shelling near Al-Nasr neighborhood, northeast of the city of Rafah, according to Palestinian state news agency WAFA.
CNN asked the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment on its activity in Rafah. The IDF said it was looking into the incident.
Death toll climbs: The total death toll in Gaza since October 7 now stands at 32,414, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported Tuesday with a further 74,787 people injured.
It said that 81 people were killed over the past 24 hours in the war-torn enclave. CNN cannot independently verify these numbers.