Israeli Forces Launch Airstrike on Displaced Persons’ Tent in Gaza Strip

Israeli forces launched an airstrike on the area of the displaced persons’ tent in Mawasi Khan Yunis, southwest of the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday morning, killing and wounding dozens of people.

Image source, Reuters

Death Toll and Injuries

Hamas’s official media office said more than 40 people were killed and at least 60 wounded in the raid, with many others still missing.

The Gaza Strip’s health ministry, which is counting the number of dead and wounded, said hospitals have so far received 19 bodies, while more are still under the sand or in the streets where rescuers cannot reach them.

Israeli Army’s Statement

The Israeli army said on Tuesday that it had launched a “specific attack on several prominent terrorists linked to the Hamas terrorist organization who operated from a command and control complex camouflaged inside the humanitarian zone of Khan Younis.”

He added that the death toll published by Hamas’ official media office “does not match the information available to the army, the precise ammunition used and the accuracy of the injuries.”

Eyewitness to the Attack

Khaled Mahmoud, a charity volunteer who lives near the site of the attack, said he and other volunteers rushed to help but were shocked by the scale of the disaster.

Rami Nayef Muhammad recounted his testimony on the BBC’s Gaza Today program: My family and I were sleeping, and suddenly we woke up to the sound of the bombardment like a belt of fire.

Response

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Tuesday that the “stunning” Israeli operation in the southern Gaza Strip demonstrated the need for a ceasefire.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in its comments on the al-Mawasi operation that the international failure to implement international legitimacy resolutions and the International Court of Justice order to force Israel to stop its war encouraged it to be more committed to genocide.