The strike, one of the war’s deadliest so far, took place in an area Israel’s military had designated as safe for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
Israel said it targeted Hamas’ shadowy military commander in a massive strike that killed at least 90 people including children, according to local health officials.
Deif and Hamas’ top official in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, are believed by Israel to be the chief architects of the October 7 attack that killed some 1200 people in southern Israel and triggered the Israel-Hamas war. Not seen in public for years, Deif has long topped Israel’s most-wanted list and is believed to have escaped multiple Israeli assassination attempts. On October 7, Hamas issued a rare voice recording of Deif announcing the “Al Aqsa Flood” operation.
Deif’s killing could also encourage Hamas to harden its positions in talks. He has been in hiding for more than two decades and is believed to be paralysed. One of the only known images of him is a 30-year-old ID photo released by Israel. Even in Gaza, only a handful of people would recognise him. Witnesses said the strike landed in Muwasi, the Israeli-designated safe zone that stretches from northern Rafah to Khan Younis. Palestinians have fled to the coastal strip, sheltering mostly in tents with few basic services or supplies. More than 80 per cent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes.Footage of the aftermath showed a huge crater, charred tents and burnt-out cars. Victims were carried on the hoods and in the hatchbacks of cars, on donkey carts and on carpets.
The blast threw a two-year-old child into the air and the mother was missing, Wateridge said. Another boy had his feet blown off, while an eight-year-old boy was killed. “They told me to go there to be safe,” his grieving mother told her of the area struck.Neighbouring Egypt, a mediator in ceasefire talks, condemned the strike.
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