Gaza, Tuesday – An Israeli airstrike targeting a tent encampment housing displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza killed at least 40 people and wounded 60 others, Gaza’s civil emergency authorities confirmed. The early morning attack hit the al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, which the Israeli military had previously designated as a “safe zone” for civilians amidst its ongoing ground invasion.

At least 20 tents were set ablaze during the strike, with rescuers uncovering craters as deep as 9 meters. The camp had been housing thousands of Palestinians who had fled from other parts of the enclave due to the conflict. Describing the aftermath, a Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson said, “Our teams are still moving out martyrs and wounded from the targeted area. It looks like a new Israeli massacre.”

Witnesses described scenes of chaos as Israeli jets circled overhead, and fires raged through the camp. “It was a hellish sight. Entire families were wiped out while they sought shelter in what was supposed to be a safe zone,” one resident recounted.

The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that the target was a Hamas command and control center embedded within the camp. “Significant Hamas terrorists who were operating within the humanitarian area in Khan Younis were struck,” the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

Hamas, the group governing Gaza, denied that its fighters were in the vicinity of the strike, calling the Israeli claims “a blatant lie.” In a statement, Hamas said, “The resistance has denied several times that any of its members exist within civilian gatherings or using these places for military purposes.”

The al-Mawasi camp has become increasingly overcrowded since the conflict erupted on October 7, as hundreds of thousands of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced. Gaza’s health ministry reports that over 40,900 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with many still missing under the rubble.