International
40 Killed, Dozens Injured As Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza
The Israeli military confirmed its aircraft targeted an operations centre in Khan Younis, allegedly used by Hamas fighters, and claimed to have taken precautions to minimize civilian casualties.
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Local residents reported that three strikes hit tents sheltering displaced people in the humanitarian zone of al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, creating massive craters seven meters deep.
“Forty people were killed, and over 60 were injured, with many still trapped under the rubble,” the operations director of Hamas’s Civil Defence authority told the BBC.
Eyewitnesses described large explosions rocking the al-Mawasi area shortly after midnight, with flames lighting up the night sky.
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Khaled Mahmoud, a volunteer with a local charity, said he and others rushed to the scene but were overwhelmed by the devastation.
“The strikes created three craters seven meters deep, burying more than 20 tents,” Mahmoud said.
Unverified videos show civilians desperately digging through sand with their hands to rescue those trapped in the craters caused by the airstrikes.
In a statement, an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson said the military had attacked “significant Hamas terrorists who were operating within a command and control centre 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 there were Hamas fighters 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.”
Thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled to Khan Younis since Israel launched its military campaign in the territory last October.
The ground operation was launched in response to Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, in which about 1,200 were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
More than 40,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
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