Israeli Airstrike Near Emergency Responders in Gaza

The Israeli military carried out an additional airstrike near emergency responders during an operation targeting the top Hamas military commander in Gaza over the weekend. The strike took place at a villa in the Al-Mawasi area, as revealed by videos and photographs examined by The New York Times.

After the initial Israeli munitions hit the villa grounds on Saturday morning, another smaller missile struck a busy street outside the compound while emergency service workers were arriving at the scene. This second missile exploded in front of two clearly marked Gaza Civil Defense vehicles, causing shrapnel damage and reportedly injuring first responders.

The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted “military targets of the utmost significance” but mentioned that the incident will be investigated further.

Details of the Airstrikes

• The initial strike aimed at the Hamas commander Muhammad Deif involved at least five precision-guided missiles hitting the compound.
• The subsequent strike near the emergency responders was approximately 100 yards away from the compound’s entrance, indicating a separate attack.
• Experts analyzed videos of the incident, suggesting that the second strike was an airstrike based on the sound heard before the explosion.
• Shrapnel damage observed on the Civil Defense vehicles was consistent with munitions used by the Israeli military, as assessed by military experts.

In the aftermath of the airstrikes, videos captured scenes of people carrying numerous dead and injured individuals away from the area, some wearing bright orange Gaza Civil Defense vests.

President Biden has recently halted the delivery of certain weapons to Israel over concerns regarding potential civilian casualties that could result from the use of such munitions.