Nestled within an officially recognized humanitarian area, the camp served as a haven for displaced residents who were fleeing the harsh Israeli attacks.
Israeli airstrikes on a tent encampment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, resulted in at least 40 Palestinian deaths and several injuries.
Witnesses reported that Israel launched at least three missiles into the Al Mawasi neighborhood early on Tuesday, marking it as a humanitarian zone.
At least twenty of the tents housing the Palestinian refugees caught fire. Deep craters were also created by the missiles.
Teams are still transporting the injured and dead from the area, according to a Gaza civil emergency officer.
According to the official, it has been difficult to find victims who may have been buried.
The Israeli military asserted that it had hit Hamas fighters “who were operating within a command-and-control center embedded inside the humanitarian area in Khan Younis,” but Hamas refuted the claims, calling them “a clear lie that aims to justify these ugly crimes”.
Nearly 94,800 Palestinians have been injured and 41,100 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s nearly one-year-old war on Gaza, the majority of them were women and children, local health officials report.
Much of the area is in ruins due to the ongoing blockade of the enclave, which has caused serious shortages of food, potable water, and medication.
The International Court of Justice has accused Israel of genocide in relation to its activities in Gaza.
