Hamas-run health ministry says 90 killed in Israeli strike targeting military chief

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported that at least 90 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a designated humanitarian area. This attack, which Israel claims was aimed at senior Hamas leaders, also left around 300 people injured. The strike occurred in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis, a location that the Israeli military had designated as a humanitarian zone, urging Palestinians to seek shelter there. An Israeli military official stated that he did not know the exact number of casualties and would not confirm if the two Hamas men were among those killed or injured. He mentioned that the strike targeted Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas's military wing, who is a top target for Israel's military. The official added that the strike took place in an 'open area' where there were 'no civilians,' but refused to confirm whether it was inside a designated safe zone. He accused Hamas leaders of 'cynically' setting up in a civilian area. BBC Verify analyzed footage of the aftermath and confirmed that the strike occurred within an area marked as a humanitarian zone on the Israel Defense Forces website. The official also said he was unaware of any hostages taken during the 7 October attack on Israel being in the area. Rafa Salama, the Hamas commander for Khan Younis, was also targeted in the strike. The official claimed that 'accurate intelligence' was gathered before the 'precision strike. ' Hamas, however, refuted the claim that their leaders were the targets, calling it 'false. ' They stated that it is not the first time Israel has claimed to target Palestinian leaders, only to be proven wrong later. An eyewitness in al-Mawasi described the site of the strike as looking like an 'earthquake' had hit. Videos from the area show smoldering wreckage and bloodied casualties being loaded onto stretchers. People can be seen desperately trying to pick through the rubble of a large crater with their hands. Dr. Mohammed Abu Rayya, a doctor at a hospital dealing with the aftermath, described the situation as 'one of the black days. ' Speaking to Newshour on the BBC World Service, he said that the majority of cases coming in were fatalities, with others suffering from multiple shrapnel wounds. He likened the scene to 'hell,' noting that many of the casualties were civilians, including women and children. Footage from the nearby Kuwait field hospital showed chaotic scenes with patients being treated on the floor. The Nasser medical complex in Khan Younis is 'overwhelmed' and no longer able to function, according to the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, is one of Israel's most wanted men. He has near-mythical status in Gaza and has survived multiple assassination attempts, including one in 2002 when he lost an eye. Imprisoned by Israeli authorities in 1989, he later formed the Brigades with the aim of capturing Israeli soldiers. Israel accuses him of planning and supervising bus bombings that killed dozens of Israelis in 1996 and of involvement in the capture and killing of three Israeli soldiers in the mid-1990s. He is believed to have been one of the masterminds behind the 7 October Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, and the capture of 251 others who were taken back to Gaza as hostages. This attack led to a major Israeli military operation in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 38,400 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. A Hamas official, cited by Reuters, described Saturday's attack as a 'grave escalation,' indicating that Israel was not interested in reaching a ceasefire agreement. Talks held in Qatar and Egypt ended on Friday without success, according to the BBC. Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency reported that in a separate incident, 17 people were killed in an Israeli strike west of Gaza. This attack targeted a prayer hall in the Shati refugee camp. The Israeli military has not yet commented on this claim. Images from the aftermath of the Israeli airstrike in Gaza show a burning car and a woman raising her arms in anguish. Behind her, the scene includes a burnt-out truck. Palestinians are seen traveling on a donkey-pulled cart along a street in north-western Gaza City. Gazan rescue workers are shown lifting body bags into a van. A pro-Palestinian woman and a pro-Israeli man are seen shouting at each other.