At least 71 people are said to have been killed in an air strike by the Israeli military. The target of the attack was probably a high-ranking Hamas leader.
The radical Islamic Hamas reported numerous deaths in an attack in the southern Gaza Strip. The exact circumstances were initially unclear on Saturday. The press office of the Hamas-led government in Gaza spoke of a “terrible massacre”. The attack hit tent accommodations for displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis. More than 100 people were killed. The Health Ministry in Gaza announced that at least 90 Palestinians were killed and 300 others injured.
Many of them were in critical condition, according to medical sources. Tents belonging to displaced people were hit. 20 bodies and 90 injured people were taken to Nasser Hospital. The information could not be independently verified at this time. The Israeli military said it was investigating reports of the attack.
Israeli army radio reported that the military had targeted Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shortly after the attack it was still unclear whether Deif had been eliminated. Later that evening, Hamas announced that Deif had not been killed in the attack. A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that Deif heard Netanyahu’s statement on the matter and mocked it.
One of Israel’s goals in the Gaza war is to capture or kill Deif and the Hamas leader in the coastal region, Jihia al-Sinwar. They are considered the two most important leaders of the organization within the Gaza Strip. In March, the army reported the killing of the third highest-ranking Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Marwan Issa.
Deif is considered a war hero within Hamas, having survived numerous assassination attempts. He is said to have lost an eye, among other things. The military chief is one of the most influential figures in the terrorist militia. He was born in the 1960s, presumably in Khan Yunis. He played a key role in building up Hamas’ military infrastructure, including the tunnel system. In addition, Deif was involved as a strategist in several kidnappings and assassinations against Israelis.
The Al-Mawasi area is located on the coast between Rafah and Khan Yunis and was originally declared a “humanitarian zone” by Israel. According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May, between 60,000 and 75,000 people have sought protection there, especially after the start of the Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah in the very south of the Gaza Strip. Aid organizations warned of precarious living conditions in the camp.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, there were several heavy attacks in the area this morning. Staff at the nearby Nasser Hospital reported that there were no longer enough beds to accommodate the large number of injured following the attacks.
Israel’s army had announced earlier today that operations were continuing throughout the Gaza Strip. In Rafah, forces destroyed numerous tunnels and killed several Hamas members on Friday. Fighting was reportedly continuing in the city of Gaza.
