In an air attack on the al-Mawasi refugee camp, west of Khan Younis, Israel has killed over 100 Palestinians and injured more than 300 others. The Israeli strike has drawn significant international condemnation.
International NGO Action Aid has condemned the attack, expressing deep concern for the safety of Palestinian civilians, its staff and partners in the area. In a statement, Action Aid said:
“We are utterly horrified and appalled by the devastating attack on the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis and extremely concerned about the safety of our staff and partners in the area, some of whom we have not yet been able to make contact with. This is an area that had been designated a safe humanitarian zone, yet at least 71 people have been brutally slaughtered there today and hundreds injured, once again making it perfectly clear that absolutely nowhere is safe in Gaza.”
The group also reiterated its call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, emphasising the dire state of Gaza’s overwhelmed healthcare system:
“As yet more Palestinians mourn their loved ones or attempt to seek medical help from a health system that is overwhelmed and on its knees, we plea – yet again – for this nightmare to come to an end and for a permanent ceasefire, now.”
The Israeli army has claimed the primary target of the attack was a senior Hamas military commander, along with Rafa Salama, commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade.
Palestinian groups engaged in armed resistance against Israeli occupation have denounced Israeli assertions as false, stating that the attack resulted in the deaths of “defenceless civilians” in an area previously designated by Israel as “safe.”
Witnesses on the ground reported that rescue workers and health teams arriving at the scene were also targeted by Israeli forces. Since 7 October, Israel, with unconditional support from United Sates, the United Kingdom and other western nations, has killed at least 38,443 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded 88,481 others in Gaza.