Israeli attack leaves at least 19 dead in humanitarian zone

In the early hours of Monday (9), at least 19 people were killed and 60 were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to the Civil Defense of the Palestinian territory.

Al-Mawasi, home to the Palestinian population after being forced to leave since the Israeli army designated the coastal area as a “humanitarian zone”that is, a place “safe” where people are advised to take refuge during IDF (Israel Defense Forces) military invasions.

At least 20 tents where Palestinians were sheltering were hit, according to Al Jazeera. Medics and residents said the camp was hit by at least four missiles, according to Reuters, with each missile leaving a depth of about 9 meters (30 feet).

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Many people remain under the rubble, teams are mobilizing to find them, 15 people remain missing, an entire family is missing.

The Israeli army

The Israeli military justified the bombing by saying the target was Hamas. In a statement, the military said its air forces “attacked senior Hamas terrorists operating a command and control center located within the Khan Yunis humanitarian zone”. Israeli forces said that measures were taken before the attack to reduce the risk of civilian casualties through the use of precision munitions.

Hamas

The terrorist group Hamas, spoke out through its Telegram and claimed that this was a blatant lie by the Israeli authorities to attack the region, and stated that they have no fighters in that area.

Hamas has gained widespread popularity within Palestinian society for its anti-Israeli stance. It has repeatedly attacked civilians in Israel, including through suicide bombings and indiscriminate rocket fire. These acts have led many countries to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Featured photo: Palestinian people search for missing people after Israeli attack (Reproduction: NurPhoto/Getty Images Embed)