Dozens killed and injured in attack on al-Mawasi
Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic and the Wafa news agency are reporting that dozens of people have been killed and injured in an Israeli attack on Palestinians staying in tents in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza.
A spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defence that at least 20 tents were hit in the attack, AJA reports.
Death toll rises to 40 in attack on al-Mawasi tents
A destroyed tent in al-Mawasi
We’ve been reporting on an Israeli attack on people sheltering in tents in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian media are now reporting that at least 40 people were killed in the attack, and 60 others injured, according to the Reuters news agency.
As we reported earlier, Gaza’s Civil Defence said at least 20 tents where displaced Palestinians were sleeping were hit in the attack.
The coastal al-Mawasi area has been overcrowded with tents since many Palestinians fled there when the Israeli army designated it as a “safe zone” during its ground invasions of the nearby cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.
Israeli missiles caused 9 metre craters in al-Mawasi tent camp: Report
Teams conduct a search and rescue operation after Israeli air strikes on a site in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis where displaced Palestinians were living in tents
Rescuers searching for survivors in al-Mawasi say Israeli missiles left craters up to 9 metres (30 ft) deep in the tent camp in the southern Gaza Strip, our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting, citing local sources.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes in the area, with fires burning and Israeli reconnaissance planes circle overhead.
The attack took place near a field hospital run by the British charity UK-Med, at the entrance to al-Mawasi.
Many people were buried under the sand after the attack reportedly caused 9-metre-deep craters
Gaza Civil Defence: ‘One of the most heinous massacres in this frenzied war’
A spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defence has been talking about the situation in al-Mawasi.
Here is some of what he said:
- Initial assessments suggest this is “one of the most heinous massacres in this frenzied war”.
- Ambulance and Civil Defence teams are facing considerable difficulty retrieving the bodies of people killed in the attack.
- The attacks involved heavy missiles and left three large craters in an area where people were living in at least 20 tents.
- People in the surrounding area are in a state of panic because they thought the area was safe after Israel had called it a “humanitarian area”.
Israeli army says it attacked Hamas command ‘disguised’ in ‘humanitarian area’
The Israeli army says its fighter jets were targeting a Hamas southern command centre “disguised in the humanitarian area in Khan Younis”, referring to the attack on al-Mawasi that initial reports from Palestinian media say killed at least 40 people.
In a post on X, the Israeli army, which has been facing scrutiny for alleged violations of international law, said “many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precision weaponry, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence information.”
Many feared dead in Israeli strikes on Gaza humanitarian area
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/middleeast/gaza-khan-younis-israel-strike-intl-latam/index.html
.... (CNN first prints all the IDF excuses)
The Israeli military said that it took steps to “mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional means,” but it did not say it warned civilians in the area.
There were more than 200 tents of displaced people at Al-Mawasi area, Bassal said, adding about 20 to 40 tents were destroyed and “entire families have disappeared in the sand.”
Eyewitnesses said that at least five missiles struck the area, according to Gaza Civil Defense. The explosion created three large craters, Bassal said.
“Ambulance and civil defense crews were mobilized to the site, and there is talk of a large number of killed and wounded,” the Gaza Civil Defense said.
Video circulating on social media, and shared by Hamas media outlet Al Aqsa TV, showed Gaza Civil Defense members digging in the sand as they search for missing people. Clothes and shoes can be seen scattered across the area. CNN has been unable to independently verify the footage.
.... (more IDF excuses)
