In southern Gaza, 40 individuals have been reported dead and dozens more injured following Israeli airstrikes on a humanitarian zone, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defence authority.
The Israeli military has stated that the attacks targeted a Hamas operations center in Khan Younis, asserting that they took measures to minimize civilian casualties.
Residents claim that three strikes hit tents sheltering displaced people in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, creating seven-meter-deep craters.
“Forty people have been killed and over 60 injured, with many still trapped under debris,” said a spokesperson from Hamas’s Civil Defence.
Eyewitnesses reported intense explosions in the al-Mawasi region shortly after midnight, with visible flames rising into the night sky.
Khaled Mahmoud, a local charity volunteer, described the scene as overwhelming, noting that the strikes had buried over 20 tents and created significant destruction.
Unverified footage shows civilians digging through rubble by hand in a desperate effort to rescue those trapped.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) defended the strikes, claiming they targeted “significant Hamas terrorists” within a command center situated in the humanitarian area.
The IDF asserted that precautions were taken to avoid civilian harm, including the use of precise weapons and aerial surveillance.
Hamas has disputed the IDF’s claims, labeling them as false and asserting that its members are not using civilian areas for military activities.
Since the onset of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza last October, following a major Hamas attack on southern Israel that resulted in around 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages, over 40,900 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
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