By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Hatem Khaled and Maayan Lubell
CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -An Israeli airstrike killed no less than 71 Palestinians in a chosen humanitarian zone in Gaza on Saturday, the enclave’s well being ministry stated, in an assault that Israel stated focused Hamas army chief Mohammed Deif.
It was unclear whether or not Deif was killed. “We are still checking and verifying the results of the strike,” an Israeli army official informed reporters.
The militant Islamist group Hamas stated in an announcement that Israeli claims it had focused leaders of the group had been false and aimed toward justifying the assault, which was the deadliest Israeli assault in Gaza in weeks.
Displaced folks sheltering within the space stated their tents had been torn down by the pressure of the strike, describing our bodies and physique elements strewn on the bottom.
“I couldn’t even tell where I was or what was happening,” stated Sheikh Youssef, a resident of Gaza Metropolis who’s at present displaced within the Al-Mawasi space.
“I left the tent and looked around, all the tents were knocked down, body parts, bodies everywhere, elderly women thrown on the floor, young children in pieces,” he informed Reuters.
The Israeli army stated the strike in opposition to Deif additionally focused Rafa Salama, the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade, describing them as two of the masterminds of the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel that triggered the nine-month struggle in Gaza.
Deif has survived seven Israeli assassination makes an attempt, the newest in 2021 and has topped Israel’s most needed checklist for many years, held liable for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.
The Gaza well being ministry stated no less than 71 Palestinians had been killed within the strike and 289 injured, the deadliest toll in weeks within the conflict-shattered enclave.
Al-Mawasi is a chosen humanitarian space that the Israeli military has repeatedly urged Palestinians to move to after issuing evacuation orders from different areas.
Reuters footage confirmed ambulances racing in direction of the realm amidst clouds of smoke and dirt. Displaced folks, together with girls and youngsters, had been fleeing in panic, some holding belongings of their arms.
The Israeli army printed an aerial photograph of the location, which Reuters was not instantly capable of confirm, the place it stated “terrorists hid among civilians”.
“The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees, several buildings, and sheds,” it stated in an announcement.
The Israeli army official stated the realm was not a tent advanced, however an operational compound run by Hamas and that a number of extra militants had been there, guarding Deif.
HOSPITAL ‘FULL OF PATIENTS’
A lot of these wounded within the strike, together with girls and youngsters, had been taken to the close by Nasser Hospital, which hospital officers stated had been overwhelmed and was “no longer able to function” because of the depth of the Israeli offensive and an acute scarcity of medical provides.
“The hospital is full of patients, it’s full of wounded, we can’t find beds for people,” stated Atef al-Hout, director of the hospital, including that it was the one one nonetheless working in southern Gaza.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was holding particular consultations, his workplace stated, in mild of “developments in Gaza”.
It was unclear how the strike would have an effect on ceasefire talks underway in Doha and Cairo.
“Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not good. I don’t know about Mohammed Deif, I know that keeping the war is bad for all of us,” stated Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of an Israeli hostage who was collaborating in a hostage solidarity march simply exterior Jerusalem on Saturday.
“We need to bring the hostages back,” she informed Reuters.
“If (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu killed Mohammed Deif then he has his picture of victory so bring them back now.”
ATTACK HIT CALM AREA, WITNESSES SAY
Individually on Saturday, no less than 19 Palestinians had been killed in an Israeli assault on a prayer corridor at a Gaza camp for displaced folks in west Gaza Metropolis, Palestinian well being officers stated.
The Hamas-run media workplace stated no less than 100 folks had been killed and wounded within the Khan Younis assault, together with members of the Civil Emergency Service.
A senior Hamas official didn’t verify whether or not Deif had been current and known as the Israeli allegations “nonsense”.
“All the martyrs are civilians and what happened was a grave escalation of the war of genocide, backed by the American support and world silence,” Sami Abu Zuhri informed Reuters, including the strike confirmed Israel was not all in favour of reaching a ceasefire deal.
Critics have accused Israel of committing genocide in opposition to Palestinians, which Israel denies. It characterises its actions as self-defense to stop one other assault like Oct. 7, although the Worldwide Court docket of Justice ordered Israel in January to take motion to stop acts of genocide.
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 folks and took greater than 250 hostages within the cross-border raid into southern Israel on Oct. 7, in keeping with Israeli tallies.
Israel has retaliated with its army motion in Gaza that has killed greater than 38,000 Palestinians, medical authorities in Gaza say.
Witnesses stated the Khan Younis assault got here as a shock as the realm had been calm, including multiple missile had been fired. Among the wounded who had been being evacuated had been rescue staff, they stated.
“They’re all gone, my whole family’s gone … where are my brothers? They’re all gone, they’re all gone. There’s no one left,” stated one tearful girl, who didn’t give her title.
Rising up the Hamas ranks over 30 years, Deif developed the group’s community of tunnels and its bomb-making experience, Hamas sources say.
In March, Israel stated it killed Deif’s deputy, Marwan Issa. Hamas has not confirmed or denied his loss of life.
