Israeli airstrikes obliterate displacement camp near Khan Younis, dozens of casualties reported
Gaza (Quds News Network)- Israeli warplanes unleashed a series of devastating airstrikes on a displacement camp near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, leveling over 20 tents and leaving a trail of destruction and death. The camp, which was considered a “safe zone” for displaced Palestinians, was located near the British Hospital at the entrance of Al-Mawasi, southwest of Khan Younis.
The Civil Defense said Israel used heavy concussion missiles in the airstrikes. According to eyewitnesses, the airstrikes, involving at least five missiles, targeted tents near Othman Bin Affan Mosque. The bombardment obliterated the entire area, leaving deep craters in the ground and wiping out all trace of the temporary shelters that housed scores of families fleeing violence in other parts of Gaza. Medical teams rushed to the scene, grappling with the sheer number of bodies, injuries, and missing persons.
Civil defense teams and locals continue to dig in search of dozens of Palestinian bodies following Israeli airstrikes targeting over 20 displacement tents in the Al-Mawasi area, previously claimed by the Israeli occupation as a ‘safe zone’. pic.twitter.com/qcVhSbzt94
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) September 9, 2024
Rescue efforts remain ongoing. Al Jazeera reported that the Civil Defense teams are still retrieving bodies from beneath the rubble. The Civil Defense stated that at least 65 civilians have been either killed or wounded, though the death toll is expected to rise significantly as many more remain buried under the debris and many others reportedly vanished due to the intensity of the bombing. The Director of Supplies at the Civil Defense told Al-Araby TV that the airstrikes created craters as deep as nine meters, making the rescue mission incredibly difficult.
Casualties have arrived at Naser Medical Complex following Israeli airstrikes targeting a displacement camp in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis. pic.twitter.com/tht4DEdASK
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) September 9, 2024
The Israeli military justified the assault by claiming that the camp, which was a designated safe zone for civilians, housed a “Hamas command center.”
The attack near the British Hospital comes amid a broader campaign of relentless Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, with an escalating death toll that has surpassed 40,700 Palestinians since the genocide began. The destruction of civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and displacement camps, has compounded the already dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave, with hospitals overwhelmed by the sheer number of casualties.
