Wounded and Injured after Israeli Attack on Hanajah
During an air raid on the Gaza Strip, at least 71 people have died according to Palestinian reports. The target of the attack was, according to Israeli government sources, the military commander of Hamas, Mohammed Deif. A Israeli government representative confirmed that Deif was the target. Moreover, Rafa Salama, another leadership member of the militant-Islamist group, was also reportedly targeted. However, the spokesperson did not confirm if Deif and Salama were killed.
At least 71 people have been killed in the air raid on Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip according to Palestinian reports. 289 others were injured, the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry reported. The attack hit refugee camps in Khan Younis, where many displaced Palestinians live in makeshift tents. Many of the dead and injured were taken to the nearby Nasser Hospital. Journalists from the Associated Press counted more than 40 bodies at the hospital. Witnesses reported multiple attacks.
Initially, it was unclear whether the air raid on Saturday hit a area in Mawasi that Israel had declared a humanitarian zone. The area extends from the northern part of Rafah to Khan Younis. Thousands of displaced Palestinians had fled there to escape the fighting. Many live in makeshift tents.
Mohammed Deif: Mastermind behind the October 7th attack
Abu Suhri, a senior Hamas representative, dismissed the reports as "nonsense" to Reuters. Among the dead were civilians, he said. The attack showed that Israel had no interest in reaching a truce, he added. The Israeli military stated that they were investigating the reports of the attack. Deif is believed to be the mastermind behind the Hamas-led terror attack in southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in around 1200 deaths. The large-scale attack sparked the Gaza War.
Deif, a high-ranking Hamas representative, has been at the top of Israel's wanted list for years. Deif has survived seven Israeli assassination attempts, the last one in 2021. He seldom speaks in public and rarely gives interviews. Only three pictures of him are known to exist. In only one of them is his face clearly visible - it shows him as a young man in his twenties.
Since the Israeli offensive, which was launched in response to the attack, more than 38,000 Palestinians have been reportedly killed according to Hamas claims. The figures could not be independently verified at first.
The Palestinian reports claim that the air raid on Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip resulted in at least 71 deaths and 289 injuries, targeting areas inhabited by displaced Palestinians living in makeshift tents. The Israeli government claimed that the focus of the attack was the military commander of Hamas, Mohammed Deif, who is often associated with the October 7th attack that led to significant casualties in southern Israel and initiated the Israel-War. Despite these allegations, Hamas dismissed the reports as "nonsense" and accused Israel of having no intention of reaching a truce. The Israeli military, on the other hand, is investigating the claims. Deif, a high-ranking Hamas representative, has been a sought-after figure by Israel for many years, withstanding numerous assassination attempts, including one in 2021.
