Lagatar24 Desk
Gaza: At least 40 people were killed and 60 injured after an Israeli airstrike hit a humanitarian zone in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Yunis, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. The strike targeted Al-Mawasi, an area designated by the Israeli military as a safe zone, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians had sought refuge.
Israeli forces stated the attack was aimed at a Hamas command and control centre operating within the area. “Our aircraft struck significant Hamas terrorists who were operating within a command and control centre embedded inside the Humanitarian Area in Khan Yunis,” read a statement from the Israeli military early Tuesday. The military also accused Hamas of systematically using civilian infrastructure for terrorist activities.
However, Gaza’s civil defence officials described the aftermath as catastrophic. “Forty martyrs and 60 injured were recovered and transferred to nearby hospitals,” said civil defence official Mohammed Al-Mughair. He also noted that search teams were still working to find 15 missing people. “More than 20 to 40 tents were completely damaged,” said Mahmoud Basal, another civil defence spokesperson, adding that “three deep craters” were left behind by the strike.
Basal emphasized that those sheltering in the area were not warned of the strike, and that a shortage of rescue equipment was slowing recovery efforts. “There are entire families who disappeared under the sand in the Mawasi Khan Yunis massacre,” he added.
Hamas Denies Allegations
In response to Israel’s claims, Hamas issued a statement rejecting the assertion that its fighters were present at the site. The group described the allegations as “a blatant lie.” Over the course of the ongoing conflict, Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields, an accusation that Hamas has consistently denied.
Shrinking Safe Zones and Humanitarian Impact
The strike adds to the heavy toll of civilian casualties in Gaza since the conflict began. The October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which triggered the war, left 1,205 people dead, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry, managed by Hamas, reported that Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed at least 40,988 people, the majority of whom are women and children.
The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in Gaza, with the United Nations reporting that most of the population of 2.4 million has been displaced at least once since the war began. The Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, which once housed 1,200 people per square kilometre, now holds up to 34,000 people per square kilometre, as its designated safe area has shrunk from 50 to 41 square kilometres.
Efforts led by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a ceasefire and negotiate a hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas have stalled. Hamas has demanded a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of any ceasefire agreement, while Israel insists on maintaining its troops along the Gaza-Egypt border.
The situation remains tense, with humanitarian concerns growing amid ongoing military operations.
