- Multiple casualties reported in humanitarian area - Israel: Hamas central headquarters strike
During an Israeli airstrike in a designated humanitarian area in Gaza, around 40 individuals lost their lives and around 60 were injured, as reported by Palestinian sources. The Israeli military claimed that the operation targeted important Hamas terrorists in a concealed command center, denying the high death toll.
Video footage from the scene revealed a substantial crater in the ground and individuals frantically digging into the sandy soil with their bare hands, searching for more casualties. According to the civil defense of the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, tents housing internally displaced persons were hit. Israel had consistently advised Gaza Strip residents to seek shelter in the Al-Muwasi humanitarian zone.
The Israeli military asserted that they undertook numerous measures prior to the attack to reduce the risk of civilian casualties.
Israel: Hamas command center was the target
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the operation targeted prominent figures such as the head of Hamas' air force unit in Gaza and the head of a Hamas special department. These individuals were directly linked to the October 7 massacre and had recently been planning terrorist activities against Israel.
However, Hamas refuted Israel's claim, alleging that no Hamas fighters were present in the humanitarian zone, labeling the assertion as a "blatant lie."
In a parallel incident in July, Israel's military bombarded a fenced-off structure in the humanitarian zone located between Khan Yunis and Al-Mawasi, which Israel asserted functioned as a base for Hamas terrorists. The attack reportedly resulted in the demise of Mohammed Deif, the military chief of Hamas, and Rafa Salama, the commander of the Khan Yunis brigade of Hamas. As per the Hamas-controlled health authority, 90 individuals succumbed to the extensive airstrike at that time.
Deif is regarded as one of the masterminds behind the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2021, which claimed more than 1,200 lives in Israel and over 250 individuals who were taken hostage to Gaza. This unprecedented massacre initiated the conflict. Since the commencement of the conflict, the number of Palestinians who perished in Gaza has exceeded 41,000, according to local authorities, without differentiating between combatants and civilians, making it challenging to verify the data.
Hostages' relatives: Untenable conditions for captives
According to Israeli estimations, around 101 individuals are still imprisoned by Hamas, with the number of survivors uncertain. The captives are reportedly enduring inhumane conditions, as per their families. The forum of the families of the captives stated that an initial inquiry into the fate of six recently slain hostages discovered that the deceased hostages were previously confined in narrow underground tunnels with insufficient air supply. They were battling extreme malnutrition and weight loss, and exhibited "obvious signs of prolonged physical neglect."
The six corpses were discovered in a tunnel in the Rafah area in southern Gaza over a week ago and were subsequently transferred to Israel. The hostages were reportedly targeted and murdered by their captors shortly prior to discovery. The forum advocated for an immediate agreement with Hamas for their release.
Talks aimed at securing her release, involving the US, Egypt, and Qatar, have experienced a prolonged stalemate for months. A proposed multi-stage agreement would also encompass the termination of the conflict, the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from the Gaza Strip, and the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.
Critics accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of derailing such an agreement via excessive demands. However, John Kirby, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, contended that Hamas remains the primary impediment in the negotiations. Hamas official Isat al-Rishkeh discredited Kirby's allegations that Hamas had introduced new demands during the talks.
US warnings of a major war between Israel and Hezbollah
Concurrently, Israeli media reported warnings from an unnamed US government official concerning the potential implications of a larger war between Israel and the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah. The cost would be significant, he warned, with thousands, likely tens of thousands, of casualties and substantial destruction. Furthermore, such a war would eventually culminate in an agreement akin to the current negotiations underway.
Since the initiation of the Gaza conflict, there have been almost daily military altercations between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. Both in Israel and Lebanon, individuals have been killed, and tens of thousands have evacuated the border region due to the hostilities.**
In response to the Israeli military's claims of targeting Hamas terrorists, Palestinian sources disputed the high death toll, stating that civilians were among the casualties of the air attack. The operation, carried out in a designated humanitarian area, resulted in numerous civilian deaths and injuries, including those who were searching for survivors in the aftermath of the attack.
