Hamas-run health ministry says 141 killed in Israeli strikes

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported that 141 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes since Saturday. Additionally, around 400 people have been injured, according to the health ministry's statement. One of the air strikes targeted a designated humanitarian zone in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the attack was aimed at senior Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, but there was 'no certainty' that he had been killed. An eyewitness in al-Mawasi described the scene to the BBC as resembling an 'earthquake'. Videos from the area depict smouldering wreckage and bloodied casualties being loaded onto stretchers. BBC Verify has analyzed footage of the aftermath of the strike, confirming that it occurred within an area marked as a humanitarian zone on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) website. Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence agency reported that 17 people were killed in a second Israeli strike on Saturday. This attack allegedly targeted a prayer hall in the Shati refugee camp to the west of Gaza City. The Israeli military has not yet commented on this claim. A Hamas official, cited by Reuters, described the attacks as a 'grave escalation' and accused Israel of not being interested in reaching a ceasefire agreement. Talks held in Qatar and Egypt ended on Friday without success, according to the BBC. Images from Gaza show smouldering wreckage and people surveying the aftermath of the airstrikes. A burning car is visible in some of the images. Mohammed Deif, a senior Hamas leader, has been operating in the shadows of Gaza for decades. In a news conference on Saturday, Mr Netanyahu said he authorized the al-Mawasi operation after being briefed by his general security forces. He stated that he wanted to ensure there were no hostages nearby, understand the extent of the collateral damage, and know what types of weapons would be used. He mentioned that the deaths of the two targeted Hamas leaders had not been confirmed but promised to eliminate all senior members of the group. 'Either way, we will get to the whole of the leadership of Hamas,' Mr Netanyahu added. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, quoted by the AFP news agency, later accused Mr Netanyahu of attempting to block a ceasefire in the Gaza war with 'heinous massacres'. Hamas dismissed the claim that their leaders were targets as 'false'. 'It is not the first time Israel claims to target Palestinian leaders, only to be proven false later,' the group said in a statement. An Israeli military official stated that the strike occurred in an 'open area' with 'no civilians'. He declined to confirm whether it was within a designated safe zone but accused Hamas leaders of 'cynically' setting up in a civilian area. The official also mentioned that he was unaware of any hostages taken during the 7 October attack on Israel being in the area. He added that 'accurate intelligence' was gathered before the 'precision strike'. Speaking to Newshour on the BBC World Service, Dr Mohammed Abu Rayya, who is at a hospital dealing with the aftermath of the attack, said most of the injured were suffering from multiple shrapnel wounds. He described the situation as '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 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, including one in 2002 when he lost an eye. He was imprisoned by Israeli authorities in 1989, after which he formed the Brigades with the aim of capturing Israeli soldiers. Israel accuses him of planning and supervising bus bombings that killed tens of Israelis in 1996, and of involvement in the capture and killing of three Israeli soldiers in the mid-1990s. It is believed he was 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 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. 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.