Israeli Airstrike in Gaza Kills 40 Civilians, Injures 60
The attack, which utilized US-provided 2,000-pound bombs, occurred in the al-Mawasi refugee camp in Khan Younis early on Tuesday.
The Israeli military alleged that the strike targeted members of the Hamas resistance movement, who were allegedly "operating a command and control center" in the area.
Hamas has rejected these claims, calling them a "blatant lie." "The resistance has repeatedly confirmed the absence of any of its members among civilian gatherings or the use of such areas for military purposes," Hamas said.
The airstrike is the latest in thousands of attacks launched by the Israeli regime against the besieged Gaza Strip since October last year following a retaliatory operation by Gaza's resistance groups.
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To date, nearly 41,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 94,800 injured in the Israeli genocidal war. Some 11,000 others are also missing.
The al-Mawasi refugee camp had seen an influx of displaced Palestinians fleeing violence from other parts of Gaza. The United Nations estimates that between 30,000 and 34,000 people were living in each square kilometer of the camp at the time of the attack.
The bombs used in the strike were identified as American-made MK-84 bombs, which carry 900 pounds of explosives and can create a crater about 15 meters wide and over 10 meters deep. The bombs are capable of causing deadly damage within a radius of approximately 73 meters.
This is not the first instance of Israeli use of such weapons against civilian targets in Gaza. In July, a similar strike killed more than 70 Palestinians in the same refugee camp.
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The United States has supplied the occupation regime with around 14,000 of these bombs since the war began.
Hamas said the US is "complicit" in the attacks, stating that they are being carried out "without regard for international law, humanitarian law, or resolutions calling for an end to the aggression."
Source: Agencies
