GAZA: Gaza’s civil defense agency reported on Tuesday that an Israeli airstrike on a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza killed at least 40 Palestinians and injured 60 others. The strike targeted Al-Mawasi in Khan Yunis, which had been designated a safe zone by the Israeli military for displaced Palestinians.
According to Gaza civil defense official Mohammed Al-Mughair, recovery efforts are ongoing for 15 people still missing from the strike. Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal noted that the strike destroyed over 20 tents and left behind three deep craters, with entire families believed to have been buried under the debris.
The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a Hamas command center within the humanitarian zone, accusing Hamas of using civilian areas for military operations. Hamas, however, denied these claims, labeling them as false.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 40,988 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli war on Gaza since October 7 last year. The UN human rights office has reported that most of the deceased are women and children.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with the population density in the Al-Mawasi area increasing significantly and the safe zone shrinking from 50 to 41 square kilometers. Efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to mediate a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal have stalled, with Hamas demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Israel insisting on maintaining a military presence along the Gaza-Egypt border.
