Israeli Air Strike Kills At Least 90 In Al Mawasi Humanitarian Zone; “Brutal Massacre”: Qatar
An Israeli airstrike killed at least 90 Palestinians in a designated humanitarian zone at Al Mawasi in Gaza’s Khan Younis on Saturday, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The attack, which Israel claimed was targeting Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, has drawn international condemnation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated it was unclear if Deif was killed, but affirmed as Reuters quoted, “Either way, we will get to the whole of the leadership of Hamas.”
In response, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong condemnation. Qatar described the attack as a “shocking and brutal massacre” and a new chapter in the ongoing series of crimes against the Palestinian people. They emphasized the urgent need for immediate international action to end what they called “brutal aggression” and provide protection for the Palestinian people.
The ministry warned that Israel’s disregard for Palestinian blood and its attempts to impose a fait accompli would undermine international efforts aimed at implementing the two-state solution, thereby expanding the cycle of violence in the region and threatening international peace and security. They reiterated Qatar’s steadfast position on the just Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Hamas has refuted Israeli claims that the strike was aimed at its leaders, labeling it as an attempt to justify the attack. The strike, the deadliest in Gaza in weeks, has left the Al Mawasi humanitarian zone in devastation. Displaced residents described the aftermath, with Sheikh Youssef, a displaced resident from Gaza City, stating, “I couldn’t even tell where I was or what was happening,” as he witnessed bodies and body parts strewn across the area, as reported by Reuters.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military claimed the strike also targeted Rafa Salama, the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade, describing them as masterminds behind the October 7 attack on southern Israel, which led to the ongoing nine-month war in Gaza.
