Israeli strikes killed at least 70 people and injured hundreds more in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis on Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials. The Israel Defense Forces stated the operation targeted two top Hamas officials, including Mohamed Deif, the head of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing.
Palestinian health officials labeled the attack a "massacre." In an interview with Reuters, Hamas spokesperson Abu Zhuri dismissed claims that the strike targeted Deif as "nonsense." The scale of the attack threatens to further delay already-strained cease-fire talks in Cairo and Doha.
Hundreds of men, women and children running away from a large plume of smoke on the horizon were seen in the footage captured by Reuters. Many carried their bloodied and unconscious injured slung over their arms or on makeshift stretchers.
In a press conference on Saturday, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the attack was a targeted strike on a Hamas compound surrounded by trees, buildings, and sheds, not a tent complex. He mentioned that senior military commanders Mohammed Deif and Rafa Salama, along with other Hamas terrorists, were present in the area. However, he did not share details of the intelligence and noted that the IDF was still verifying the results of the strike, reported Aljazeera.
The IDF designated Al-Mawasi as a safe humanitarian zone in December, despite it being repeatedly targeted since then. In the press conference, Hagari mentioned that the IDF had urged civilians to gather in the area, but Hamas' senior leaders had concealed themselves among the civilian population, leading to the strike.
The Palestinian Red Cross announced on X that Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis had admitted numerous patients following the strikes, including some displaced individuals residing in the organization's shelter camp within the affected area.
It remains uncertain how this airstrike will impact cease-fire negotiations, as it happened shortly after President Biden released a statement suggesting that Israel and Hamas had reached a preliminary agreement.
Six weeks ago I laid out a comprehensive framework for how to achieve a ceasefire and bring the hostages home.
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 12, 2024
There is still work to do and these are complex issues, but that framework is now agreed to by both Israel and Hamas.
My team is making progress and I'm determined to…
Hamas has previously accused Israel of causing delays in reaching an agreement, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not accept any deal that prevents it from resuming military operations until Hamas is eradicated. Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautioned in May that Israel would not be able to completely eliminate Hamas' presence in Gaza.
Hamas no longer insists that Israel commit to a permanent cease-fire beforehand. However, according to the Associated Press, the group still seeks written guarantees that negotiations will persist until a lasting cease-fire is achieved.
In Gaza, after nine months of Israel's military offensive, Palestinians endure a relentless cycle of airstrikes, the recovery of charred bodies from rubble, overwhelmed hospitals, and ongoing destruction.
