According to the Israeli army, the targets of the attack were two members of the Hamas leadership.
12:25•Updated 21:30
At least 90 Palestinians have been killed and 300 wounded in the city of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, says the Gaza Ministry of Health under the extremist organization Hamas.
According to the Ministry of Health, the Israeli strikes on Saturday hit the al-Mawasi refugee camp, where Palestinians who fled their homes lived.
The ministry says it condemns the Israeli attack. According to Hamas, the attack is a sign that Israel is not interested in achieving a ceasefire.
Israel had designated al-Mawas, near Khan Yunis, as a safe area after ordering the evacuation of civilians from other parts of the Gaza Strip. UNRWA, the UN aid organization for Palestinian refugees, has estimated that there may be up to 1.5 million people in the entire al-Mawas area.
According to the army, the attack was aimed at Hamas officers
The Israeli army confirmed earlier today that it has continued military operations in the central parts of Gaza.
According to the army, the missions in the southern parts of Gaza have been targeted and based on intelligence. Israel claims that the targets of the attack were hiding among civilians.
The targets of the attack were two Hamas officers, the army says. Later on Saturday, the Israeli military confirmed media reports that the target of the strike was the leader of Hamas’ armed wing Mohammed Deif and the head of the Khan Yunis Brigade Rafe Lightning.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz In its statement, Hamas denies that Deif was wounded in the attack.
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu gave a “security speech” on Saturday about the attack on the Hamas leadership. Netanyahu said in his speech that at the moment it is not possible to say with certainty whether Deif and Salama died in the attack.
Gaza’s largest hospital no longer operational
Ambulances were reported to be taking victims to several hospitals in the Palestinian Territory, including the nearby Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis.
Nasser’s staff announced later on Saturday that the hospital was no longer functional. Doctors interviewed by the news agency Reuters say that the hospital staff is overburdened and unable to treat everyone who needs treatment because of the large number of casualties caused by the Israeli strike. The doctors also say that the hospital is suffering from an acute shortage of medicine.
The Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense Agency said Israeli shelling had prevented its groups from reaching victims in the camp, where tens of thousands of people have sought refuge.
Director of the Kuwait Field Hospital in the Gaza Strip Suhaib Al-Hams called the attack a “veritable massacre”.
According to Al-Hams, the hospital had many victims with serious injuries.
Sources: AFP, Reuters, STT
The story was updated on July 13 at 12:45 p.m.: Added information from the Gaza Ministry of Health about the victims and comments from the Israeli army about Deif.
Story updated on July 13 at 2:46 p.m.: Added information about Nasser Hospital.
The story was updated on July 13 at 8:53 p.m.: Updated number of victims.