An Israeli airstrike on Thursday targeted makeshift tents in a designated humanitarian safe zone in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza, killing at least 11 Palestinians, including three children and two women, and wounding 15 others, according to local medics and news agencies. The attack occurred before dawn, striking displaced families sheltering in the tents. Video footage from the aftermath revealed residents searching for survivors amid burning debris and scattered clothing.
The al-Mawasi area had been declared a “safe zone” by the Israeli military earlier in the ongoing war on Gaza. However, it has faced repeated strikes, including an attack on December 22 that killed eight people, including two children. Israeli forces have provided no comment on the latest incident, which adds to the mounting casualties in the besieged territory.
The humanitarian zone has increasingly come under fire, with Israel citing Hamas as its primary target. On December 3, Israeli missile strikes on tents in al-Mawasi killed at least 20 people, reportedly in pursuit of a Hamas official. Civilians in the area have been subjected to relentless bombardment, with displaced families often left with nowhere to flee. Earlier this week, Israeli tanks advanced on al-Mawasi from Rafah, prompting dozens of families to evacuate northward, fearing imminent attacks.
The latest strike follows intensified Israeli operations across Gaza. On New Year’s Day, at least 26 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes, including four children and a woman. In Jabalia, northern Gaza, 15 civilians were killed in a strike on a home used as shelter, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence. Israeli forces issued warnings for residents to evacuate areas in Jabalia before the attacks but provided no such notice for al-Mawasi’s Thursday airstrike.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in staggering casualties. Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed at least 45,553 Palestinians. Despite the siege and heavy bombardment in northern Gaza, Palestinian fighters have mounted coordinated counterattacks, including a significant multi-wave assault in Jabalia, according to United States-based defense think tanks.
The continued strikes, including on humanitarian zones, have drawn international concern as the death toll rises. The lack of safe refuge for displaced families and mounting civilian casualties underscore the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
