Chaotic Morning in Gaza

As the sun rose on Saturday, the residents of Gaza were starting their day like any other. Some were just sitting down to meager breakfasts, others were sipping tea, and many were tending to their children or setting off on their daily routines.

Unexpectedly, the tranquility was shattered by a series of deafening explosions that rocked Al-Mawasi, a once quiet area in southern Gaza that had become a refuge for tens of thousands of Palestinians seeking safety after assurances from the Israeli military that it was secure for civilians.

Despite these assurances, Israel launched a relentless wave of airstrikes on Saturday morning, claiming to have targeted Hamas’s top military commander along with another military leader. The aftermath was devastating, with over 90 casualties reported by Gaza health officials, with approximately half of them being women and children, and more than 300 people left injured.

Witnesses described the horrific scene as sand and debris were thrust high into the air, resembling a macabre storm of destruction. Ahmed Youssef Khadra, 38, recounted how he was having breakfast with his family in their tent when chaos ensued. The tent collapsed under the force of the blasts, burying them in sand as bodies were flung around them.

Overwhelmed by the chaos, Mr. Khadra struggled to comprehend the situation, his thoughts consumed by the safety of his four children who were trapped with him. The uncertainty and fear gripped him as he tried to make sense of the tragedy unfolding around him.