The civil emergency service of the enclave reported on Tuesday that 65 people were killed or injured when Israeli missiles destroyed a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza. The Israeli military described this incident as an attack on a Hamas command center.
Over forty people have died, according to the Gaza government media office, which is managed by Hamas. It stated that as rescuers resumed their searches early on Tuesday, at least 60 more people were hurt in the attacks, and many more were still unaccounted for.
Locals and medical personnel reported that at least four missiles struck the tent camp in Khan Younis in the Al-Mawasi area. Israel has declared this area a humanitarian safe zone for Palestinian refugees. Families who were ordered to evacuate from other parts of the region by the Israeli military are packed into the camp.
At least 20 tents caught fire, according to the Gaza Civil Emergency Service, and missiles left holes up to nine meters (30 feet) deep. It stated that women and children were among the 65 victims, but it did not immediately give a breakdown of the fatalities and injuries.
The Gaza Health Ministry, which aggregates the death toll, did not immediately respond. 40 Palestinians were reported dead earlier by the Shehab News Agency, which is affiliated with Hamas.
“Our teams are still moving out martyrs and wounded from the targeted area. It looks like a new Israeli massacre,” a Gaza civil emergency official said.
The officer went on to say that crews have been finding it difficult to find victims who may have been buried.
The Israeli military says it “struck significant Hamas terrorists who were operating within a command and control center embedded inside the Humanitarian Area in Khan Younis.”
The Israeli Defence Forces were mentioned in the statement along with the phrase “the terrorists advanced and carried out terror attacks against IDF troops and the state of Israel.”
Hamas, which ruled Gaza before the war, refuted Israel’s claims that it used civilian areas for military purposes. It also denied the presence of gunmen in the targeted region.
“This is a clear lie that aims to justify these ugly crimes. The resistance has denied several times that any of its members exist within civilian gatherings or use these places for military purposes,” said Hamas in a statement.
Residents reported that they could still hear Israeli warplanes flying overhead as ambulances sped between the tent camp and a neighboring hospital.
The 2.3 million residents of Gaza have been displaced from their homes at least once, and some have had to leave up to ten times.
According to Israeli estimates, Hamas struck Israel on October 7 and killed 1,200 people while capturing perhaps 250 others as prisoners. This incident set off the conflict. The health ministry of the enclave reports that over 40,900 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s ensuing attack on Gaza.
The failure to achieve a ceasefire that would put an end to the fighting and result in the release of hostages is something that both sides blame each other for.
Click here for more World news.