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Israeli Air Force Targets Humanitarian Zone in Southern Gaza, Causing Casualties
The Israeli Air Force strikes a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, leading to tragic casualties. This incident raises urgent questions about the impact of military operations on civilian areas amid ongoing conflict.
Israeli Air Force Strikes Humanitarian Zone in Southern Gaza
The Israeli Air Force carried out airstrikes in a humanitarian area located in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, targeting what the Israeli military described as a militant command center. According to the Civil Defense in Gaza, these strikes resulted in numerous casualties, both dead and injured.
The Israeli military issued a statement asserting that its airstrikes were aimed at militants who had launched attacks and were operating from a command and control center situated in the Khan Younis humanitarian zone. They emphasized that efforts were made to reduce the risk to civilian lives during these operations.
However, a spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza took to social media to report a devastating scene, noting that entire families had vanished due to the strike. Approximately 20 tents were also reportedly destroyed, and the aftermath left behind three substantial craters, indicating that multiple missiles had struck the area known as Al-Mawasi. The spokesperson lamented the absence of any prior warning and highlighted a critical shortage of equipment necessary for search and rescue operations.
Once a sparsely populated region, Al-Mawasi has transformed into a densely populated area due to the influx of tens of thousands of Palestinians who moved there following an earlier Israeli military designation of the zone as a safe haven for civilians. This area had previously experienced Israeli airstrikes in July, aimed at Hamas commanders.
Emerging videos and images from the scene depicted individuals searching through the rubble with the aid of their mobile phone lights. Emergency personnel from the Palestine Red Crescent Society were seen digging with shovels near what appeared to be the large craters left by the strikes. It is important to note that these videos and images have not been independently verified.
While earlier reports from Arabic-language news outlets suggested that several dozen lives may have been lost, such claims remain unverified. Additionally, videos and images shared by the Civil Defense also await independent confirmation.
Contributors: Farnaz Fassihi and Anushka Patil