A devastating Israeli airstrike on a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza has left at least 40 people dead and dozens more injured, according to local authorities. The strike, which targeted the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis, has drawn international concern and sparked further controversy over the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike, stating that it targeted key Hamas operatives operating within a command and control center embedded inside the humanitarian area. The IDF emphasized that measures were taken to mitigate civilian casualties, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance. However, the strike has resulted in significant loss of life among displaced Palestinians who had sought refuge in the area.
Local sources, including the Hamas-run Civil Defense authority, reported that three separate strikes hit tents housing displaced people, creating massive craters and burying more than 20 tents under the sand. "Forty people were killed and more than 60 injured, while many are still under the rubble," said the operations director of the Civil Defense authority, who spoke to the BBC. Eyewitnesses described the scene as catastrophic, with volunteers and rescue workers desperately digging through the sand to reach survivors.
The strikes, which occurred shortly after midnight, caused large explosions that were heard and felt throughout the region. Khaled Mahmoud, a volunteer living near the strike zone, described the aftermath as "beyond comprehension," with flames lighting up the night sky and deep craters marking the landscape. "The strikes created three craters seven meters deep and buried more than 20 tents," Mahmoud said.
Footage circulating on social media, shared by Hamas's Al Aqsa TV, shows Gaza Civil Defense members digging through the sand in search of missing people, with clothing and personal belongings scattered across the area. While CNN has not been able to independently verify the footage, the scenes depicted align with reports from local sources on the ground.
The IDF defended the strike, arguing that Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza have systematically used civilian and humanitarian infrastructure to shield their operations. "This is another example of the systematic use by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip of the population and civilian infrastructure, including the humanitarian space, for the purpose of carrying out terrorist acts against the State of Israel and the IDF forces," an IDF spokesperson said.
Hamas, however, has strongly denied the presence of its fighters in the humanitarian zone, calling the Israeli military's claims a "blatant lie." The group reiterated that its members do not operate within civilian gatherings or use such places for military purposes. This stark denial highlights the deepening divide between the narratives of the Israeli military and the Palestinian authorities in Gaza.
The humanitarian zone in Khan Younis had been established to shelter thousands of displaced Palestinians fleeing the intense conflict that has engulfed Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign in October. The campaign was in response to an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 251 others. Since the start of Israel's military operations, more than 40,900 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
The recent strike on Al-Mawasi is one of the deadliest incidents in the conflict's latest phase and raises serious questions about the protection of civilians in war zones. The international community has called for restraint and adherence to humanitarian principles, particularly in areas designated as safe havens for displaced persons.
