At least 90 Palestinians reportedly killed after Israel targets Hamas military chief

PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-WEATHER-HEATWAVE

A boy stands outside a tent at a camp for people displaced by conflict in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 11, 2024 (Photo by EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images) Source: AFP / EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images

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An Israeli airstrike on the safe zone of al-Mawasi in Gaza has resulted in the reported death of at least 90 Palestinians and injured at least 289. The attack aimed to target senior Hamas leaders, though their fate remains uncertain. The strike left hospitals overwhelmed and critically low on medical supplies, with many injured receiving treatment on the floor.




Charred tents, burnt-out cars and household belongings scattered across a blackened earth.

It was supposed to be a safe humanitarian zone.

But it was not.

This Palestinian woman's father, was among at least 90 Palestinians killed and 289 injured, in an Israeli air strike on al-Mawasi, east of Khan Younis, in central Gaza.

It is a designated humanitarian area that the Israeli army has repeatedly urged Palestinians to head to after issuing evacuation orders from other areas.

Israel says it conducted the strike there to target senior Hamas leader Mohammed Deif and his deputy, Rafa Salama.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unsure if they are dead.

"The State of Israel, through the IDF and the Shin Bet, attacked Gaza today with the aim of thwarting Mohamed Deif and his deputy, Rafa Salama. There is still no absolute certainty that the two have been eliminated, but I want to assure you that one way or another we will reach the top of Hamas."

He claims Mohammed Deif plotted the 7th of October attack.

And claims his forces are succeeding in weakening Hamas.

"In the last few weeks, we recognise clear cracks in Hamas under the intensity of the blows we are landing on it. We see changes, we see weakness. Today's operation contributed to it as well and it will bear more results. The commanders of Hamas are hiding in underground bunkers, they are cut off from their forces on the ground. The Gazan population understands more and more the magnitude of the disaster that Hamas, that many of them supported, ignores them."

At a hospital not far from al-Mawasi, Chaos.

Speaking from the overwhelmed Nasser Medical complex in Khan Younis Abddallah Abu Madi, says Israel struck several times with a barrage of missiles.

He is on a stretcher on the floor, surrounded by blood and injured people, his hands bandaged- lucky to be alive.

"When the airstrikes started, we saw the missiles so we started to run. They got me out injured, unconscious. my children and my wife and family members are injured. ... The first missiles were fired like rain toward us, then a minute between each missile, like rain They fired too many missiles toward the people. Why this strike? it should be a safe zone. We were at AL-Mawasi, a safe zone."

Mr Abu Madi says enough is enough.

"End this war, this is enough. There is no safe zone in Gaza, end this war, have mercy on us and our children. We are getting killed every minute. Have mercy on us."

Abdelrahman Kanan says several of his neighbours fell victim to the strikes which came in succession.

"Some of us were outside the house and some inside the house, west of Al-Mawasi is suppose to be a safe zone. For five minutes, there were airstrikes. I got on the floor, many were killed and got injured. Many people among our neighbours were killed and many injured. Three minutes later, after everything calmed down, and when the ambulances arrived, the warplanes started to fire again around the same place."

Mohammed Saqr is the spokesperson for the Nasser Medical Centre.

He says the complex was no longer able to function due to the huge number of injured needing treatment.

"Two hours ago, we started receiving tens of cases together, in a few minutes I mean (at) Nasser medical complex here and most of the cases are in a very critical situation. Among them, there were nearly 50 dead bodies. Many cases are in the operation theatre right now. We have called for help. Now we are unable inside the hospital to deal with any more cases because all the hospital beds are full. In addition, the floors of the hospital are full of cases on the ground. The situation is very miserable."

He says there is an acute shortage of medical supplies.

"We started receiving tens of cases in a few minutes, while we are suffering from lack of supplies and instruments. Sadly, we lack of many supplies and instruments, like surgical gowns like cotton, like sterilisation instruments, in addition to abdomen swab. I mean, here, what we need in the operation theatre, we are nearly lack of everything inside the hospital here."

Scott Anderson from the United Nations agency for Palestinian Refugees has been to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis where many of the wounded are being treated.

"I guess alarming is the best word to describe it. A lot of children there that were injured, some without their parents. We saw children that were paralysed, some double amputees. So it was very much for us concerning that so many innocent civlians have been harmed during this event. And they were just putting patients really anywhere they could and unfortunately the hospital doesn't have enough disinfectant, doesn't have enough fuel for the generators and just doesn't have enough of anything."

A statement from Gaza's health authorities says that with this latest strike, the number of Palestinian killed since the 7th of October has risen to 38,443.

1,200 people were killed in Hamas' 7 October attacks on southern Israel, with 240 taken hostage.

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