‘Heinous Massacre’: Israeli Strikes on ‘Safe Zone’ Kill at Least 90 Displaced Palestinians
The Israeli attack on an area designated as a “safe zone” involved fighter jets and drones, according to witnesses, and resulted in the deaths of at least 90 people and injuries to 300 others.
The area, where approximately 80,000 people were sheltering, was struck by “five bombs and five missiles.”
Rescue workers reported that the Israeli military attacked crews who were en route to assist victims.
The attacks, which occurred around 10:30 a.m., initially killed dozens of civilians who were subsequently taken to the Nasser Medical Complex, with over 100 others injured, some critically. Rescue teams continue to retrieve dozens of casualties from the bombing sites.
The regime’s military claimed it had targeted Rafa’a Salameh, commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, and Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’s military wing.
However, prime minister Netanyahu mentioned it was “not absolutely certain” that the Hamas officials had been killed.
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Hamas has dismissed the Israeli military claims as “false,” describing it as an attempt to cover up the “horrific massacre” at a location where displaced Palestinians were told to seek shelter after being ordered to evacuate their homes elsewhere in the Strip.
The incident occurred on the 281st day of the Israeli war on Gaza. Israel's strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 38,345 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.
World slams Israeli genocide
The United Nations and countries in West Asia have strongly slammed the regime for the attack on civilians.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation strongly condemned Israel’s actions in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, and the Shati refugee camp, describing them as “heinous massacres.”
The organisation considers the attacks an “extension of the crime of genocide that the Israeli occupation continues to commit against Palestinian civilians, in blatant defiance of” the orders of the International Court of Justice and United Nations resolutions.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “shocked and saddened” by the Israeli air raids which killed at least 90 Palestinians.
“The [Israeli military] stated that they were targeting two senior members of Hamas,” Guterres said in a statement. “The Secretary General underlines that international humanitarian law including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack must be upheld at all times.”
