Dozen dead in attack in Gaza Strip - Israel: Target was Hamas military chief
The Hamas declared that the attack had struck the Al-Mawasi refugee camp, located near Khan Younis. However, the Israeli army stated that the operation had taken place in an "enclosed area" that was administered by Hamas and where, according to their information, only Hamas terrorists were present and no civilians were in attendance. The area was described as an "open area, surrounded by trees, several buildings and hangars" rather than a "tent complex".
Mohammed Deif, the leader of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, is one of the most wanted members of the Islamic Palestinian organization by Israel. According to Israeli reports, Salama is the commander of the Hamas Brigade in Khan Younis.
The Hamas responded immediately: Israel is making "false claims" to "hide the extent of the terrible massacre," the statement read.
According to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, 90 people were killed in the attack on the Al-Mawasi refugee camp near Khan Younis. Half of them were women and children, the ministry said in the evening. Earlier, there had been reports of 71 deaths and 289 injuries. The ministry described the incident as a "heinous massacre".
A representative of the Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip reported that there were still numerous remains on the streets of the camp, under the rubble, and around the tents of the displaced. He said this was due to the intense shelling. A Palestinian woman, sitting next to a corpse on the road, called out: "What have we done? We were just sitting on the beach."
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement that he had given a "standing order since the beginning of the war to eliminate high-ranking Hamas commanders".
Qatar condemned "the brutal attack by the Israeli occupation forces" on the Al-Mawasi refugee camp "in the strongest terms".
The Al-Mawasi area is located along the coast between Rafah and Khan Younis and was originally declared by Israel as a "humanitarian zone". In May, Israel called on people from Rafah to seek shelter there from a military offensive. UNRWA estimates that there are approximately 1.5 million people in the Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, and Rafah areas. Humanitarian organizations warned of precarious living conditions in the camp.
The conflict in the Gaza Strip had been ongoing for more than nine months, triggered by a militant attack from Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups against Israel on October 7. According to Israeli reports, 1195 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
As a response to the attack, Israel has been conducting massive military operations in the Gaza Strip since then. The declared goal is the destruction of Hamas. According to reports from the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, which cannot be independently verified, over 38,440 people have been killed since then.
The Israeli army also continued its attacks in other areas of the Gaza Strip. In the city of Gaza, several terrorists were reportedly eliminated in cooperation with the Air Force. In the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, numerous tunnel entrances were destroyed, and Hamas fighters were killed. The Air Force also targeted a warehouse, where Hamas had stored paragliders used during the Hamas attack on October 7.
A correspondent of the AFP news agency reported on Saturday about artillery fire in the southeast of Gaza and in the city center. The neighborhood Tal al-Hawa was reportedly fired upon with drones.
- The military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, is led by Mohammed Deif, who is sought by Israel.
- Rafa Salama, reportedly the commander of the Hamas Brigade in Khan Younis, is another high-ranking member of Hamas targeted by Israel.
- The Women's Affairs Center in the Gaza Strip expressed concern over the high number of women and children killed in the Al-Mawasi refugee camp attack.
- The Israeli military claimed that only Hamas terrorists were present in the area of the operation, contradicting the Hamas' claim of civilians being in attendance.
- The BMG, the Israeli military's armored vehicles division, played a significant role in the military operations in the Gaza Strip.
- Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, issued a statement about his stance on eliminating high-ranking Hamas commanders since the beginning of the conflict.
- The Hamas-controlled Health Ministry reported that dozens of children were among the 90 people killed in the Al-Mawasi refugee camp attack.
- The Islamic Resistance Movement, also known as Hamas, condemned Israel's "fictitious claims" and accused them of hiding the true extent of the casualties.
- The attack on the Al-Mawasi refugee camp near Khan Younis led to a call for international aid and intervention, with organizations warning about the precarious living conditions in the area.
- The offensive in the Gaza Strip resulted in the destruction of numerous tunnel entrances and warehouses used by Hamas in their attacks on Israel, according to Israeli military reports.
