Gaza: Gaza's Health Ministry says it has confirmed that at least 19 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in a designated humanitarian zone. The Civil Defence, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government, had earlier said that 40 people were killed in the strike early on Tuesday. The Israeli military disputed that toll, saying it had used precise munitions against a group of militants.
Gaza's Health Ministry is also part of the Hamas-run government but its figures are widely seen as generally reliable. It maintains detailed records and its tallies from previous wars have largely coincided with figures from independent researchers, the UN and even the Israeli military. The Health Ministry said the toll from Tuesday's strike could rise. The Health Ministry and the Civil Defence did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the discrepancy.
Israel disputes the death toll
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it struck senior Hamas commanders who were operating in a command centre embedded inside a designated humanitarian area. "These terrorists were directly involved in the execution of the October 7th massacre and have been recently operating to carry out terror activities," it said.
The military added that the casualty figures published by Hamas-run authorities in Gaza "do not align with the information held by the IDF, the precise munitions used, and the accuracy of the strike". One of the survivors, Ola al-Shaer, told Reuters at the site that she had been awakened by the violent blasts. She cried out to her children and fled into the night, surrounded by fire.
"We saw women cut in pieces, children cut in pieces and martyrs. There are still people missing. People are looking for them and they still have not found them yet."
Israel-Hamas War
The war was triggered on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed more than 40,900 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry. The two warring sides each blame the other for a failure so far to reach a ceasefire that would end the fighting and see the release of hostages.
Hamas, the Islamist group that controlled Gaza before the conflict, denied Israeli allegations that gunmen were present in the targeted area, and rejected accusations it exploited civilian areas for military purposes. "This is a clear lie that aims to justify these ugly crimes. The resistance has denied several times that any of its members exist within civilian gatherings or use these places for military purposes," said Hamas in a statement.
Ambulances raced between the tent camp and a nearby hospital, while Israeli jets could still be heard overhead, residents said. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been forced from their homes at least once, and some have had to flee as many as 10 times.
(With inputs from agencies)
