Rabat – An Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) airstrike in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis killed 40 people and wounded 60 others early this morning, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.
The strike hit Al-Mawasi, a humanitarian zone designated as a refuge for displaced civilians, where tens of thousands had gathered since the onset of the conflict.
As usual, the IOF stated the strike targeted Hamas operatives embedded in a command center within the humanitarian zone.
“The terrorist organizations in Gaza continue to exploit civilian and humanitarian infrastructure to launch attacks,” Israel said in a statement, accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields — a charge Hamas denies.
Rescue workers in Gaza reported that the attack devastated large portions of the camp. Mohammed Al-Mughair, a civil defense official, said 40 bodies were recovered and 60 people were transferred to local hospitals.
Crews are still searching for 15 missing individuals, trapped under the debris of destroyed tents.
“We are facing serious challenges with limited tools for rescue operations,” said civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal to the press, adding that the airstrike left behind deep craters and completely obliterated 20 to 40 tents.
The attack comes amid a broader Israeli offensive on Gaza, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives since the war began, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The United Nations reports that most of the casualties are women and children, and almost the entire population of 2.4 million has been displaced at least once.
According to UN reports, the Al-Mawasi zone, once spread over 50 square kilometers, has now shrunk to 41, housing as many as 34,000 people per square kilometer.
International efforts to broker a ceasefire, led by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, remain at an impasse, with no agreement in sight. Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza after the ceasefire, while Israel insists on maintaining a presence along the Gaza-Egypt border.
As Israel continues their merciless genocide on Gaza, the death toll has now risen to 40,988, with over 94,825 injured, according to local health authorities.
