Israel stated that it has launched a significant strike against Hamas’ military commander in the densely populated southern Gaza Strip, resulting in at least 90 deaths, according to local health officials.
Additionally, more than 300 individuals were reported injured in the attack.
It is uncertain if Mohammed Deif was among the casualties. Israeli officials have indicated that he and Hamas commander Rafa Salama were specifically aimed at in the attack.
According to a military official, they are “still evaluating and verifying the results of the strike,” but did not dispute that it occurred within the Israeli-designated safe zone.
Many consider Deif to be the key architect of the October 7 attack, which led to around 1,200 fatalities in southern Israel and initiated the Israel-Hamas conflict.
For years, he has ranked as Israel’s most-wanted individual and is believed to have survived multiple assassination attempts by Israeli forces.
His possible removal could threaten cease-fire negotiations and would be seen as a significant Israeli achievement in the protracted nine-month conflict.
In response to Israel, Hamas declared, “These untrue allegations are simply an attempt to obscure the magnitude of the horrific massacre.”
In the hospital, reporters from the Associated Press noted more than 40 bodies, while witnesses described an attack featuring several airstrikes.
Video of the aftermath revealed charred tents, burned-out vehicles, and personal belongings strewn across the scorched ground, as emergency responders and Palestinians displaced by the nine-month conflict searched for survivors.
Injured individuals were carried on vehicle hoods, in car trunks, and on donkey carts and carpets.
Individuals on the ground reported that the strike took place within Muwasi, the Israeli-designated safe zone stretching from northern Rafah to Khan Younis.
Seeking refuge, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have moved to the coastal area, primarily residing in makeshift tents.
“This area was marked as a safe zone, populated by those fleeing from the north,” remarked one displaced Palestinian man who chose to remain anonymous.
“Children were all killed here. We gathered their remains by hand,” he stated, estimating that seven or eight missiles were involved and noting that first responders were also targeted.
An Israeli official stated that the strike took place within a fenced area of Khan Younis managed by Hamas, but did not provide further details about the exact location.
Deif is widely regarded as the main strategist behind the October 7 attack, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities in southern Israel and subsequently ignited the Israel-Hamas conflict.
For years, he has been at the top of Israel’s most-wanted list and is believed to be paralyzed after evading multiple assassination attempts by Israeli forces.
Israel initiated its military campaign in Gaza following Hamas’ attack on October 7, during which militants infiltrated southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and the abduction of around 250 individuals.
Since that time, Israeli ground offensives and airstrikes have claimed the lives of over 38,300 people in Gaza and injured more than 88,000, as reported by the territory’s health ministry.
More than 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced from their homes, with many now living in overcrowded tent camps and facing severe food shortages.
The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its reported figures.
The recent airstrike occurs as US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators strive to bridge differences between Israel and Hamas regarding a proposed three-phase ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza.