The volatile Gaza Strip descended further into chaos on Monday as Israeli forces unleashed a torrent of strikes on the southern and central regions, intensifying pressure on Hamas. This followed a devastating weekend attack aimed at Hamas leadership, which left a trail of destruction and death in its wake, particularly in a designated “safe zone” near Mawasi.
In the aftermath of the Israeli assault, the coastal area of Mawasi transformed into a grim landscape of charred remnants and human carnage. Burnt-out vehicles and mangled bodies littered the ground. Displaced survivors, now lost and bewildered, grappled with the daunting question of where to seek refuge next.
On the left, the bodies of civil defense crews scattered in the streets after being targeted by IOF.
On the right, the moment they were attacked!
Israel designated this area as a “humanitarian safe zone”, gathered 1000s of Palestinians in tents then bombed them!#GazaGenocide pic.twitter.com/iYZWYQYk8t
— 𓂆 eman qasim🔻 (@EmanQasim) July 13, 2024
“Those moments as the ground shook underneath my feet and the dust and sand rose to the sky and I saw dismembered bodies – was like nothing I have seen in my life,” recounted Aya Mohammad, a 30-year-old market seller in Mawasi, through a text message. “Where to go is what everybody asks, and no one has the answer.”
Hundreds of thousands had flocked to Mawasi on the western outskirts of Khan Younis, seeking shelter after Israel had declared it a safe zone. However, on Saturday, an Israeli strike there targeted Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, a mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attacks on Israeli towns and villages, igniting the current conflict.
Palestinian officials reported that at least 90 people were killed in the Saturday strike, with hundreds more wounded. Journalists captured the harrowing scenes, showing residents scrambling to rescue the injured and retrieve the dead amid the chaos of flames and smoke.
A survivor of this morning’s massacre by the Israelis on the refugee camps in Khan Younis, which was supposed to be a safe zone, narrates what happened.
Alongside a picture of a family who all rose to martyrdom.
The Western-backed entity of Israel is a terrorist organization. pic.twitter.com/BvaFsjujDJ
— 🔻Firstblood🔻 (@FirstbloodH) July 13, 2024
Further south, in Rafah, the focus of Israel’s advance since May, renewed fighting erupted on Monday. Israeli forces demolished several homes in western and central parts of the city. Medical officials recovered 10 bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the eastern areas of the city, some already decomposing.
The military also intensified its aerial and tank shelling in central Gaza, targeting historic refugee camps in Al-Bureij and Al-Maghazi. Health officials reported five fatalities in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Maghazi camp. The Israeli military claimed that their air forces struck numerous Palestinian military targets, resulting in the deaths of many gunmen.
Yesterday ‘Israel’ massacred over 100 men, women and children in Mawasi refugee camp in Khan Younis, designated a ‘safe zone’ for people already fleeing from Israeli terror in Gaza.pic.twitter.com/xrAsd0UTqj
— David Kurten (@davidkurten) July 14, 2024
The Al-Quds brigade, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad group, confirmed fierce battles in Rafah’s Yabna camp, underscoring the intensity of the ongoing conflict.
Saturday’s catastrophic strike in Mawasi has cast a shadow over the ongoing negotiations for a lasting ceasefire, which both sides had previously described as nearing fruition. Despite the massacre, a senior Hamas official stated on Sunday that the group had not abandoned the talks. Israel claimed another senior commander was killed in the strike but remained silent on Deif’s fate. Hamas officials denied that Deif had been killed.
The Gaza health ministry reported that Israel’s military offensive since Oct. 7 has claimed at least 38,000 Palestinian lives, a figure that does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants. Officials assert that most of the dead have been civilians. In contrast, Israel reported the loss of 326 soldiers and stated that at least a third of Palestinian fatalities were fighters.
The conflict erupted following a brutal Hamas-led attack inside Israel on Oct. 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of more than 250 hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.
Major Points
- Israel intensified strikes on southern and central Gaza, targeting Hamas leaders, resulting in widespread destruction and casualties.
- A weekend strike in Mawasi, a designated safe zone, killed at least 90 Palestinians, leaving survivors without refuge.
- Renewed fighting and destruction were reported in Rafah, with significant casualties and homes demolished.
- Ongoing ceasefire negotiations remain uncertain amid the recent violence and high civilian toll.
- The conflict, which began after a Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, has resulted in at least 38,000 Palestinian and 326 Israeli soldier deaths.
Lap Fu Ip – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
