People reacts at the site of what Palestinians say was an Israeli strike at a tent camp in Al-Mawasi area, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 13, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Israeli Army Radio reported on Saturday that the Israeli military targeted the military chief of Hamas in an airstrike on Khan Younis in Gaza. According to the Gaza health ministry, this strike resulted in at least 20 Palestinian casualties. The Army Radio stated that it remains uncertain whether Mohammed Deif, the Hamas military chief, was among those killed.
The Israeli military has indicated that it is currently investigating the report. The Gaza health ministry issued a statement confirming that Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis had received 20 bodies and 90 wounded individuals. However, the statement did not provide a comprehensive tally of victims transferred to other medical facilities. Additionally, the Hamas-run media office reported that at least 100 individuals, including members of the Civil Emergency Service, had been killed or injured.
A senior Hamas official did not confirm the presence of Deif during the strike. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesperson, dismissed the Israeli claims as unfounded, asserting that they were an attempt to justify what he described as a severe massacre. He further stated that all the deceased were civilians, characterizing the incident as a significant escalation of the conflict, supported by American backing and global indifference.
The recent escalation follows an attack by Hamas-led militants on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of more than 250 hostages in southern Israel, according to Israeli sources. In response, Israeli military actions in Gaza have reportedly led to over 38,000 Palestinian fatalities, as per medical authorities in Gaza.
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