Israeli Military Strike in Gaza

The Israeli military announced on Friday that it had targeted a missile launch site belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The site was reportedly located within a shelter for displaced people in a designated “humanitarian zone.”

The military stated that the missile launch site was embedded in a civilian area, raising concerns about the use of human shields by armed groups in Gaza. The claim of the strike on the shelter for displaced people has not been independently verified.

According to the Israeli military, measures were taken to minimize harm to civilians before conducting the strike. However, the practice of using civilian areas for military purposes has been a challenge, as militants operate within civilian centers, making it difficult to avoid civilian casualties.

Gazan authorities have disputed Israel’s assertion that it takes precautions to prevent civilian deaths during military operations. The death toll in Gaza has been a point of contention, with health authorities reporting over 37,000 fatalities, without distinguishing between combatants and civilians.

In a previous incident in May, dozens of Palestinians were killed when an Israeli airstrike targeted a makeshift camp in southern Gaza. Israel claimed it was in response to a rocket attack by Hamas in central Israel, which was not linked to the camp. Subsequently, Israel conducted another strike on temporary structures in the camp, resulting in widespread damage and casualties.