Israeli strikes targeted a crowded tent camp in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian zone in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, on early Tuesday, reported the Associated Press (AP).
According to Palestinian officials, the attack killed at least 40 people and wounded 60 others, in one of the deadliest strikes in Al-Mawasi, which hosts crowded tent camps for displaced Palestinians. Israel said it targeted Hamas militants, while the group denied it had fighters in the area.
Al-Mawasi Strike
According to Gaza Civil Defense officials, 40 bodies were recovered from the strike, and search operations are underway for other victims who might have been buried. Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis said it received around 24 bodies from the strike.
Residents and medics said that at least four missiles hit the camp, which Israel designated as a humanitarian safe zone for displaced Palestinians, reported Reuters. The Gaza Civil Defense said that at least 20 tents caught fire, while missiles created 9-meters-deep craters.
Trading Accusations
The Israeli military said in a statement that the strikes targeted Hamas militants who were operating in a command-and-control center embedded in the area and carried out attacks against Israeli troops. It added that its forces used precise munitions and other means to avoid civilian casualties.
On the other hand, Hamas denied having any fighters in the area, rejecting Israeli allegations as “a blatant lie.” The group said in a statement: “This is a clear lie that aims to justify these ugly crimes. The resistance has denied several times that any of its members exist within civilian gatherings or use these places for military purposes.”
Gaza War
The war in Gaza has so far claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza Health Ministry. The fighting started after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. It has caused widespread devastation and forced nearly 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people to flee their homes at least once.
The ongoing fighting has pushed hundreds of thousands of people into Al-Mawasi, where aid groups have found difficulty in providing basic services to the area. Despite designating it as a humanitarian zone, Israel has occasionally struck targets in the area.
Moreover, the war has caused severe humanitarian crisis in the enclave. Gaza is on the brink of famine amid a polio outbreak. Humanitarian groups have struggled to deliver aid due to the ongoing fighting and Israeli restrictions. Despite launching a polio vaccination campaign in coordination with the Israeli military, the UNRWA said that Israeli troops stopped a convoy participating in the campaign for more than eight hours on Monday.
Ceasefire Agreement
In attempts to end the war, the US, Egypt and Qatar have been engaged in talks with the two warring sides, aiming to broker an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. However, the talks have repeatedly stumbled because Israel and Hamas accused each other of making new and unacceptable demands.
In an interview with the AP, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that the UN is ready to monitor any ceasefire in Gaza. Guterres stressed the urgency of reaching a ceasefire now given the “unprecedented level” of suffering.
He said: “The level of suffering we are witnessing in Gaza is unprecedented in my mandate as secretary-general of the United Nations. I’ve never seen such a level of death and destruction as we are seeing in Gaza in the last few months.”
The Viable Solution
The UN Chief emphasized that the only viable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the two-state solution. “It is the only solution,” he said, adding that the two-state solution is “a must if we want to have peace in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly is likely to vote next week on a Palestinian draft resolution demanding that Israel “end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory within six months.” The proposed resolution follows an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July that said Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal and must end.
