Israeli airstrikes on the Mawasi refugee camp in southern Gaza have killed not less than 90 folks and injured 300 others, in keeping with Palestinian well being officers.
Saturday’s assault on Israel’s designated “protected zone” west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza concerned fighter jets and drones, witnesses stated.
Israeli officers stated the assault focused two senior members of Hamas’ navy wing, claiming they had been hiding amongst civilians.
Hamas dismissed the declare as “false” and stated it was a strategy to cowl up a “horrific bloodbath” and displaced Palestinians had been urged to hunt asylum after receiving orders to evacuate their houses elsewhere within the Gaza Strip .
Here is every thing it’s essential learn about this assault and its penalties:
What’s the scenario on the bottom?
In line with Gaza’s well being ministry, the assault killed not less than 90 civilians in a densely populated space the place some 80,000 folks had taken refuge.
Israeli warplanes attacked the tents of displaced Palestinians and a water distillation unit.
Al Jazeera’s Tariq Abu Azoum, reporting from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, stated the realm was hit by “5 bombs and 5 missiles.”
Displaced folks taking refuge within the space stated their tents had been knocked down by the power of the assault and described our bodies and physique elements strewn on the bottom.
“I don’t even know the place I’m or what’s occurring,” stated Sheikh Youssef, a displaced Gaza Metropolis resident within the Mawasi district.
“I left the tent and appeared round. All of the tents had been knocked down, our bodies had been in every single place, outdated girls had been thrown on the ground, younger youngsters had been blown to items,” he instructed Reuters.
The injured had been taken to the Nasser Medical Heart in Khan Younis, which was severely understaffed and lacked vital gear. Rescue employees stated Israeli forces attacked rescue employees who went to rescue victims.
An official at Al-Nasser Hospital instructed Al Jazeera that medical groups didn’t have the capability to obtain extra injured sufferers as civil protection groups continued search and rescue operations on the website of the assault.
Mohamed Subei, an emergency physician working at a area hospital close to Mawasi, instructed Al Jazeera that rescuers had been “digging folks out of the bottom.”
The al-Mawasi space has been repeatedly attacked by Israeli forces, with an assault in late Might hitting a tent housing a displaced household, killing not less than 21 folks.
What are Israeli officers saying?
The Israeli navy claimed in an announcement that it acted on “correct intelligence” and struck an space the place “two senior Hamas terrorists” and different militants had been hiding amongst civilians. It described the strike website as “an open area surrounded by timber, a number of buildings and sheds”.
The targets had been Rafa Salameh, commander of the Hamas Khan Yunis Brigade, and Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’s navy wing – each of whom are accused of masterminding the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7 assault.
Talking on the Protection Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated it was “not completely sure” that Hamas officers had been killed within the assault, however insisted it was to Israel’s profit.
“The mere try to assassinate a Hamas commander sends a message to the world that Hamas’s days are numbered,” he stated. “That is what I’ll do subsequent week within the U.S. Congress. I’ll take Israel’s message to America and the world.
Netanyahu stated he authorized the assault after receiving passable details about collateral harm and the kind of munitions used. He added that Israeli forces would kill all Hamas leaders “in some way”.
Al Jazeera’s Hamda Salhut, reporting from Amman, Jordan, stated Netanyahu ordered “to focus on and kill Hamas officers wherever they’re” and claimed it was being carried out with precision and focusing on. Sexual assaults, a directive that has been repeatedly used to justify assaults on civilians in densely populated areas.
What are the Palestinian leaders saying?
Khalil Haya, the deputy chief of Hamas in Gaza, claimed that Netanyahu wished to declare a “pretend victory” and that claims towards the Hamas chief had been false.
“Mohammed Deif is now listening to you and laughing at your false, empty statements,” he instructed Al Jazeera Arabic.
Hamas earlier issued an announcement on Telegram calling on Palestinians within the occupied West Financial institution and occupied East Jerusalem to “mobilize” in response to the assault.
“We name on all resistance brigades to mobilize for Gaza and stay true to the blood of the martyrs,” the assertion learn.
The armed group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) stated in an announcement that Israel “is continuous its warfare of extermination towards our folks.”
“This crime confirms the occupation’s disregard for all worldwide norms and conventions,” PIJ stated.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa condemned Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza and stated Palestinians “are going via a really troublesome part.”
Mustafa stated Israel’s actions focused the whole Palestinian challenge extra broadly, together with Israel’s aim of creating an unbiased state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Scholar and activist Hanan Ashrawi stated the assault on Mawasi “turned the whole Gaza into a large demise zone”.
She posted on
As we speak’s horrific bloodbath and brutal bombing of displaced Palestinians within the Israeli-designated “protected” zone of Muasi Khan Younis is the newest escalation to show the whole Gaza right into a mass demise zone. American bombs and artillery shells rain down on Gaza, whereas Israel…
— Hanan Ashrawi (@DrHananAshrawi) July 13, 2024
What in regards to the scenario underneath worldwide legislation?
Francesca Albanese, the UN particular rapporteur on the scenario of human rights within the occupied Palestinian territory, instructed Al Jazeera the assaults could have violated worldwide legislation.
“Folks in protected areas are protected by worldwide legislation. If there are navy targets in protected areas, actions have to be proportional to the navy benefit that shall be achieved. Killing 70 folks for one particular person is disproportionate,” she stated.
“I’m disgusted by Israel’s tolerance of impunity, which has led to a genocidal warfare,” she added.
In March, United Nations consultants issued a report saying there have been “affordable grounds” to consider Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
How did the world react?
Egypt
“We condemn within the strongest phrases the Israeli assault on the Mawasi area,” the Egyptian Overseas Ministry stated in an announcement. The ministry harassed that “continued violations of the rights of Palestinian residents” add severe “complexities” to the conclusion of the ceasefire settlement. ”.
Qatar
Qatar’s Overseas Ministry stated that “the heinous crimes that proceed to happen day after day show the necessity for the worldwide group to take pressing motion to right away finish this brutal act of aggression and supply safety for the Palestinian folks.”
It additionally warned that Israel’s “reckless” habits would undermine worldwide efforts to implement a two-state answer, “thus paving the best way for an enlargement of the cycle of violence within the area and a risk to worldwide peace and safety”.
Saudi Arabia
The overseas ministry referred to as for “the launch of a world accountability mechanism” for Israeli abuses. “The Ministry of Overseas Affairs condemns within the strongest phrases the continued genocidal bloodbath of the Palestinian folks by the Israeli warfare machine,” the ministry stated in an announcement.
Iran
Overseas Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stated in a submit on the X web site that the assault was “the newest in a sequence of crimes dedicated by the child-killing Zionist regime.”
The Zionists have as soon as once more brutally demonstrated that in an effort to make up for the defeats their resistance suffered on the battlefield, they don’t acknowledge any humane and ethical pink traces for the defenseless residents of the Gaza Strip, however they have to know that adhering to this path is nothing greater than extra Widespread world hatred.
Jordan
In an announcement, the Ministry of Overseas Affairs stated it condemned the assault on the tents of “displaced individuals”. Jordan condemns Israel’s continued violations of worldwide legislation and harassed the necessity for the worldwide group to take motion to finish the struggling of Palestinians, spokesman Sufyan Gouda stated.
Colombia
President Gustavo Petro expressed outrage at what he referred to as “the best injustice”.
“I’m much more outraged as a result of this violation of worldwide human legislation is a prelude to the barbaric acts they wish to unleash towards all oppressed peoples of the planet,” he stated in a submit on X.
