Israel Bombs Another Humanitarian Zone In Gaza; At 40 Palestinians Killed (file image @UNRWA)

At least 40 Palestinians were killed, and 60 injured by Israeli occupation force’s bombing on humanitarian zone, said Reuters. Israel military clung to their usual verses that it was targeting Hamas command centre in the area. The strike hit at Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis. The area was designated as a safe zone by the Israeli military, and thousands of Palestinians are seeking refuge in the region.

This is not the first time Israel bombed the so called “safe zone”. Massacres has been part of Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza.

Gaza civil defence said the initial assessments suggested that it is “one of the most heinous massacres in this frenzied war”. Rescue and health workers are facing considerable difficulties in retrieving the bodies of those killed.

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Reportedly, the attack involved heavy missiles and had left three large carters in the area. According to Al Jazeera Arabic, the missiles left craters up to 9 metre depth. At least 20 tents were destroyed in the strike. The attack happened while people are sleeping. Those in the surrounding areas are in a state of panic, as they believed the area to be “safe”, as designated by Israel.

Israel claimed that its fighter jets were targeting a Hamas southern command centre “disguised in the humanitarian area in Khan Younis”.

The IDF, which has been under scrutiny for its violation of humanitarian law on several occassions during the war, said, “many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precision weaponry, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence information”.

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Hamas, the resistance group of Gaza, denied Israeli military’s claim regarding its command centre in humanitarian zone. In a statement released, Hamas said, “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 using these places for military purposes”.

Israel has attacked the region before. The IDF committed massacre on Al Mawasi refugee camp on July this year. the Israeli strike hit a UNRWA school in the region that killed at least 90 Palestinians and injured more than 300.