Hamas said in a statement that Israeli claims that the strike targeted Mohammed Deif, the commander-in-chief of the Al-Qassam Brigades are “unfounded.”
The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas rejected on Saturday Israeli media claims that the head of the Al-Qassam Brigade was the target of an Israeli airstrike on displaced Palestinians’ tents in the southern Gaza Strip, which killed over 70 people and injured nearly 300 others.
Hamas said in a statement that Israeli claims that the strike targeted Mohammed Deif, the commander-in-chief of the Al-Qassam Brigades are “unfounded.”
The statement added that the Israeli media’s allegations “come to cover up the scale of the horrific massacre the (Israeli) occupation has committed.”
“The Mawasi Khan Younis massacre, which targeted an area crowded with more than 80,000 displaced people, is a clear confirmation by the Zionist government of its continuation of the genocide against our Palestinian people through the repeated and systematic targeting of unarmed civilians,” the statement also read.
Following the attack, the daily Israel Hayom claimed, without providing any evidence, that the main goal of the airstrike was to eliminate Mohammed Deif.
“It is estimated that there is a high likelihood that Deif was injured in the attack, but military officials are awaiting the outcome,” it added.
Meanwhile, Israeli Army Radio also claimed that the attack targeted an “important figure” in Hamas, but the outcome is still unknown.
Massacre in Gaza ‘Safe Zone’ – Israel Bombs Khan Yunis Camp, Kills, Wounds over 350
Khan Yunis Massacre
Al-Jazeera reported that the Israeli army conducted violent raids with five missiles on displacement camps west of Khan Yunis, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.
Medical sources confirmed that the bombing caused more than 50 deaths and numerous injuries.
The government media office in Gaza announced that among the victims were members of the Civil Defense.
GAZA LIVE BLOG: Over 350 Killed, Wounded in Israeli Massacre of Khan Yunis Refugees- Day 281
The office said in a statement that relief teams are still working to retrieve the bodies and help the wounded from the bombing site, and noted that the massacre occurred while hospitals are overwhelmed and unable to accommodate the number of casualties.
An official at the Nasser Hospital informed Al-Jazeera that it had received more than 20 bodies and numerous wounded, confirming the hospital’s inability to accept more patients.
The Israeli army had previously classified the targeted area as ‘safe’, directing displaced people to seek refuge there.
(PC, Anadolu)
