At least 40 people have been killed and dozens more injured in southern Gaza due to Israeli strikes on a designated humanitarian zone, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defence authority.
The Israeli military stated that its aircraft targeted an operations centre in Khan Younis used by Hamas fighters and that measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties.
Residents reported that three strikes hit tents in the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, west of Khan Younis, creating seven-meter-deep craters.
“Forty people were killed and more than 60 injured, while many are still under the rubble,” the operations director of Hamas’s Civil Defence authority told the BBC.
Eyewitnesses reported to the BBC that large explosions shook the al-Mawasi area shortly after midnight, with flames visible rising into the sky.
Khaled Mahmoud, a local charity volunteer who lives near the strike site, said he and other volunteers hurried to assist but were shocked by the magnitude of the disaster.
“The strikes created three craters seven metres deep and buried more than 20 tents,” Mr Mahmoud said.
Unverified videos showed civilians digging through the sand with their hands in an attempt to rescue Palestinians from a deep hole caused by the airstrikes.
In a statement, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said the military had attacked “significant Hamas terrorists who were operating within a command and control center embedded inside the Humanitarian Area in Khan Yunis.”
“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional means,” the spokesperson added.
“The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to systematically abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, including the designated Humanitarian Area, to carry out terrorist activity against the State of Israel and IDF troops.”
Hamas rejected the Israeli military’s claims that its fighters were present in the area, calling it a “blatant” lie.
“The resistance has denied several times that any of its members exist within civilian gatherings or are using these places for military purposes.”
Since the onset of Israel’s military campaign last October, thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in Khan Younis.
The ground operation was initiated in response to an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 40,900 people have been killed in Gaza since the escalation began.