An Israeli airstrike in Gaza’s designated humanitarian zone on Saturday resulted in the deaths of at least 90 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The attack, which Israel claimed targeted Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assert that the status of Deif and another Hamas commander remained uncertain.
Netanyahu vowed to continue targeting Hamas leadership, emphasizing that increasing military pressure could facilitate progress in hostage negotiations. Ceasefire talks, meanwhile, had paused for three days as of Saturday.
Hamas refuted Israeli claims of Deif’s death, with a senior official stating on Al Jazeera TV that Israel’s assertions were false and intended to justify the deadly attack. Displaced individuals sheltering in the area reported that the airstrike’s force demolished their tents, leaving bodies and body parts scattered on the ground.
“I couldn’t even tell where I was or what was happening,” said Sheikh Youssef, a resident of Gaza City who is currently displaced in the Al-Mawasi area.
“I left the tent and looked around, all the tents were knocked down, body parts, bodies everywhere, elderly women thrown on the floor, young children in pieces,” he told Reuters.
Guterres’ shocked
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep shock and sadness over the civilian casualties, emphasizing that the situation highlights the lack of safety for civilians in Gaza. He stressed the importance of upholding international humanitarian law.
The Israeli military stated that the airstrike targeting Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif also aimed at Rafa Salama, commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade. They identified them as key figures responsible for initiating the October 7 attack on southern Israel, which triggered the nine-month conflict in Gaza.
Mohammed Deif has survived numerous Israeli assassination attempts, including the most recent in 2021, and has been on Israel’s most-wanted list for decades due to his alleged involvement in multiple suicide bombings that resulted in Israeli deaths.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 91 Palestinians were killed and 300 injured in the airstrike, marking the deadliest incident in Gaza in recent weeks amid the ongoing conflict.
The strike occurred in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area where the Israeli military has previously urged Palestinians to seek refuge after issuing evacuation orders from other zones.
Footage from Reuters showed ambulances rushing to the scene amidst smoke and dust clouds. Displaced civilians, including women and children, fled in panic, some clutching belongings.
The Israeli military released an aerial photograph of the site, asserting that “terrorists had concealed themselves among civilians.”
“The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees, several buildings, and sheds,” it said in a statement.
The Israeli military official said the area was not a tent complex, but an operational compound run by Hamas and that several more militants were there, guarding Deif.
