Israel targets top Hamas commander as strikes kill at least 70 Palestinians
Deif – the leader of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades – was targeted Saturday in an airstrike based on precise intelligence in Al-Mawasi, a camp west of the city of Khan Younis, an Israeli security official told CNN.
The Israeli military said it in the process of verifying whether Deif was killed in the strike. Deif was targeted alongside the head of the Khan Younis brigade, Rafe Salama, the security official added.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported at least 71 people killed in the same Al-Mawasi area in Israeli strikes, with nearly 300 people injured.
The strikes hit an area where displaced people were sheltering, according to the ministry. Videos from the scene show locals and rescue teams trying to unearth several people still trapped.
The Kuwait and Nasser Hospitals on the ground are now struggling to cope with the high numbers of dead and injured civilians coming in, the ministry said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The airstrike targeting Deif and Salama originated from a perceived threat to Israel, as they are prominent leaders in Hamas' Qassam Brigades. Despite the tumult in the Middle East, the world watches with concern as the situation in Gaza continues to unfold.
