According to eyewitnesses, Israeli warplanes carried out 3 missile attacks on the tents of displaced civilians in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis, which is claimed to be ‘safe’. With the severity of the attack, 3 pits, metres deep, were formed in the area. It was reported that at least 20 to 40 tents were completely burnt down and many people were buried under the sand. Civil defence teams stated that they had difficulties in reaching the dead and wounded due to the lack of electricity, the bodies buried in the pits and scattered around. This raises concerns that the number of casualties may increase.
Families inside the pits caused by the attack
Emphasising that they are facing one of the most painful massacres since the Israeli attacks started on 7 October, the Civil Defence Directorate stated that at least 40 people were killed and 60 people were wounded in the attack and that search and rescue operations are continuing. Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defence Directorate in the Gaza Strip, told Al Jazeera television,“Considering that there are at least 5 people in each tent, it is understood that we are facing a very large number of casualties. Three large pits have formed in the area. The tents were buried in these pits. It may take a long time to remove the bodies, for this we need heavy construction equipment. There are families that are completely destroyed in these pits,” he said.
Ismail al-Sawabite, Director General of the Government Media Office in Gaza, said in a statement that tents made of fabric and nylon were targeted with large US-made missiles used in bombing mountains and large buildings. Sevabite reported 40 dead and dozens of wounded, as well as a large number of people lost under the sands.
Emphasising that the international community remained silent on the massacres committed in Gaza, Sevabite stated that Israel committed 3,450 massacres in 340 days.
Allegations between the Israeli Army and Hamas
In its statement regarding the attack, the Israeli army claimed that it targeted the command centre of Hamas in the Mevasi region.
Hamas Denies Allegations
In a statement released by Hamas, it was stated that the allegations that there were resistance fighters in the targeted area were outright lies . It was stated that Israel is trying to legitimise its ugly massacres with such allegations. Hamas has repeatedly statedthat “there are no resistance elements in the areas where civilians are located, nor are these areas used for military purposes“. It was emphasised that this massacre carried out by Israeli warplanes in an allegedly safe area shows that the Nazist Israeli government continues to commit heinous massacres and genocide against the Palestinian people, disregarding international law and calls to stop the attacks.
