Israeli missile strike kills 40 Palestinians in Gaza

Gaza: At least 40 Palestinians were killed and more than 60 others wounded in an Israeli airstrike on tent camp sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Tuesday.

Residents and medics said a tent encampment near Khan Younis in the Al-Mawasi area, a designated humanitarian zone, was struck by at least four missiles.

Dr Mohammed Al-Mughair, director of supply at the Civil Defense, confirmed that rescue teams had recovered 40 bodies and come to the aid of more than 60 injured individuals.

He said that the bombardment created craters up to nine meters deep, suggesting the Israeli use of explosive missiles. “We are facing one of the most horrific massacres committed in this war,” he lamented.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that the attack targeted senior Hamas leaders operating from a hidden command centre in a humanitarian area of Khan Younis.

These individuals, he said, were involved in planning and executing “terrorist operations” against the army and Israeli civilians.

Adraee added that the army took extensive measures to reduce civilian casualties.

Hamas has not yet commented on these reports.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage.