90 Palestinians Killed
An Israeli airstrike killed at least 90 Palestinians in a designated humanitarian zone in Gaza on Saturday, the enclave’s health ministry reported. The attack, which Israel said targeted Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, marked the deadliest strike in Gaza in weeks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that it remained unclear whether Deif and another Hamas commander had been killed. Netanyahu vowed to continue targeting Hamas leadership, asserting that increased military pressure on the group would enhance the chances of securing a hostage deal. This declaration came as ceasefire talks, which had been ongoing for three days, came to a halt on Saturday.
“Either way, we will get to the whole of the leadership of Hamas,” Netanyahu said at a news conference. Hamas, however, denied that Deif had been killed. A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera TV that Israeli claims of targeting Hamas leaders were false and were used to justify the deadly attack.
Displaced individuals sheltering in the area described the devastation caused by the strike. “I couldn’t even tell where I was or what was happening,” said Sheikh Youssef, a resident of Gaza City who had been displaced to the Al-Mawasi area. “I left the tent and looked around. All the tents were knocked down, body parts, bodies everywhere, elderly women thrown on the floor, young children in pieces.”
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres expressed his shock and sadness over the civilian deaths, underscoring that “nowhere is safe in Gaza” and emphasizing the importance of upholding international humanitarian law.
The Israeli military stated that the strike targeting Deif also aimed at Rafa Salama, the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade. Both Deif and Salama were described as key figures behind the October 7 attack on southern Israel, which ignited the nine-month conflict in Gaza.
Deif, who has survived seven Israeli assassination attempts, has been on Israel’s most-wanted list for decades, held responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.
The Gaza health ministry reported that at least 91 Palestinians were killed in the strike and 300 were injured, marking the highest toll in weeks in the conflict-ravaged enclave. Al-Mawasi, the targeted area, had been designated a humanitarian zone by the Israeli army, which had urged Palestinians to move there following evacuation orders from other areas.
Reuters footage captured ambulances racing towards the area amid clouds of smoke and dust. Displaced individuals, including women and children, were seen fleeing in panic, some carrying their belongings.
The Israeli military published an aerial photo of the site, claiming it was an operational compound run by Hamas, not a tent complex as initially reported. They asserted that several militants were present, guarding Deif.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, emphasizing the need to minimize civilian harm. Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy representative, called for an independent probe and condemned any potential violation of international law.
Many of the wounded from the strike, including women and children, were taken to Nasser Hospital, which officials said was overwhelmed and struggling to function due to the intensity of the offensive and a severe shortage of medical supplies.
“The hospital is full of patients, it’s full of wounded, we can’t find beds for people,” said Atef al-Hout, the hospital’s director.
Ceasefire talks in Doha and Cairo stalled after three days of intense negotiations. Egyptian security sources attributed the halt to internal discord among Israeli mediators. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called for an end to “these massacres against our people” and noted the group’s communications with mediators in Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Oman.
Netanyahu reaffirmed his adherence to the framework proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden. A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council indicated that Israel had informed U.S. officials about targeting senior Hamas officials and that the Biden administration was seeking more information about the reported civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, protests continued in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of an Israeli hostage, expressed her concerns: “Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not good. I don’t know about Mohammed Deif, I know that keeping the war is bad for all of us.”
On the same day, an additional 20 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli attack on a prayer hall at a Gaza camp for displaced people. Critics have accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians, which Israel denies, characterizing its actions as self-defense to prevent another attack like the one on October 7.
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in their cross-border raid into southern Israel on October 7, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military actions in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to medical authorities in Gaza.
