More than 40 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a crowded humanitarian safe zone for displaced Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday.
Reports indicate that at least four missiles hit the Al-Mawasi tent camp near Khan Younis early in the morning. The attack, which also injured at least 60 others, ignited fires and created craters as deep as nine metres.
Israel stated that the strike targeted a “significant” number of Hamas militants in the area. However, the group has denied the presence of gunmen, calling the allegations a “blatant lie.”
Both Israel and Hamas have yet to provide evidence to support their claims. This year has seen multiple deadly Israeli attacks on the Al-Mawasi area, which now houses over 380,000 people, according to aid agencies.
Civil defence teams are still searching for victims who might be buried under the sand, with reports of entire families being killed in their tents.
Attaf al-Shaar, displaced from Rafah, described how the strike happened just after midnight, causing a fire.
“The people were buried in the sand. They were retrieved as body parts,” she told a reporter on the scene.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, one of three hospitals receiving casualties, reported that around two dozen bodies were brought in from the strike.
Currently, Israeli evacuation orders cover approximately 90 per cent of Gaza’s territory. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced at least once, with some fleeing as many as ten times.
The conflict began on 7 October when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources. In response, Israel’s offensive on Gaza has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the enclave’s health ministry.
Efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages have repeatedly faltered, as both sides accuse each other of making new and unacceptable demands.
The ongoing war has plunged Gaza into a severe humanitarian crisis, with aid efforts hampered by continued fighting, Israeli restrictions, and a breakdown in law and order.
The main UN agency providing aid to Palestinians reported that Israeli troops halted a convoy for over eight hours on Monday, despite coordination with the military.
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini noted that the convoy was involved in a polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza and Gaza City. However, it remains unclear if the campaign will proceed on Tuesday.
This vaccination drive, launched following the discovery of the first polio case in Gaza in 25 years, aims to vaccinate 640,000 children.