An enormous airstrikes in southern Gaza has left not less than 70 lifeless and a whole lot wounded, the Hamas well being ministry has claimed
The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned on Saturday that it carried out an airstrike on “two senior Hamas terrorists and extra terrorists,” who had allegedly been hiding amongst civilians in southern Gaza.
The assault was focused on al-Mawasi, a coastal space adjoining to town of Khan Younis, which the IDF had beforehand designated as a “protected zone” for displaced folks. The strike inflicted heavy civilian casualties, with not less than 71 killed and almost 300 injured, in keeping with Gaza’s well being ministry. The tally is anticipated to turn into even larger, with many our bodies nonetheless not recovered.
“There are nonetheless many our bodies of martyrs scattered within the streets, underneath the rubble, and across the tents of the displaced that can not be reached as a result of heavy shelling of the [Israeli military] that focused locations and tents within the al-Mawasi,” civil protection spokesman Mahmud Bassal informed AFP.
The IDF mentioned the “location of the strike was an open space surrounded by timber, a number of buildings, and sheds,” sharing aerial images of the compound earlier than and after the assault. In response to media experiences citing eyewitnesses, the strike got here in a number of waves, with a number of fighter jets and drones concerned.
In a joint IDF and ISA exercise based mostly on exact intelligence, the IDF’s Southern Command and the IAF carried out a strike in an space the place two senior Hamas terrorists and extra terrorists hid amongst civilians. The situation of the strike was an open space surrounded by timber,… pic.twitter.com/1MEJYHHwm7
— Israel Protection Forces (@IDF) July 13, 2024
Whereas the IDF didn’t formally identify the high-profile targets of the strike, media experiences citing unnamed Israeli officers steered the navy was looking for the pinnacle Hamas’ navy wing Mohammed Deif, in addition to one other senior commander. The Palestinian group disputed the claims, dismissing them as an try to “cover-up” yet one more “horrific bloodbath” by the Israeli navy.
“It’s not the primary time Israel claims to focus on Palestinian leaders, solely to be confirmed false later,” Hamas mentioned in an announcement.
The battle in Gaza broke out within the aftermath of the October 7 shock assault on southern Israel, launched by Hamas. The militant group took over 200 Israeli hostages within the assault, with one other 1,200 Israelis being killed.
West Jerusalem responded with a heavy aerial and artillery bombing marketing campaign in opposition to the Palestinian enclave, in addition to a string of floor operations. The hostilities induced widespread destruction in densely populated Gaza, with over 38,000 Palestinians killed and almost 90,000 wounded, in keeping with native well being authorities.
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