Israeli airstrikes on Gaza’s humanitarian zone leave dozens dead, spark desperate search for survivors

A devastating Israeli airstrike on a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza has left at least 40 people dead and triggered a frantic rescue effort to retrieve victims buried beneath sand and rubble.

The strike targeted Al-Mawasi, a coastal area in Khan Younis, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians had sought refuge. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated the operation aimed to eliminate Hamas militants operating from within the area.

More than 60 people were wounded, according to Gaza Civil Defense, as rescue teams struggled to pull survivors and bodies from the debris. Many victims were believed to be sleeping at the time of the attack, which has created three large craters in the densely packed tent settlement.

The IDF said it targeted Hamas terrorists “embedded inside the humanitarian area” and claimed the operation was conducted using “precise munitions” and aerial surveillance to minimize civilian casualties. However, Palestinian officials and local witnesses dispute the IDF’s account, denying that Hamas fighters were present. Hamas called Israel’s assertion “a blatant lie” and accused the IDF of killing “dozens of unarmed civilians, most of whom were children and women.”

Residents in the area described the harrowing scene after the strike. “The people were buried in the sand. They were retrieved as body parts,” said Attaf al-Shaar, a displaced Palestinian from Rafah. Rescue workers and civilians continued to dig through the sand by hand, searching for survivors and remains amid the chaos.

Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal reported that the airstrike destroyed between 20 and 40 tents housing displaced families, saying that “entire families have disappeared in the sand.” He also said no prior warning was given before the attack.

This is not the first time Al-Mawasi has been struck by Israeli forces in their pursuit of Hamas leadership. In July, a similar airstrike aimed at a senior Hamas commander killed at least 90 civilians in the same area. Israel has accused Hamas of using civilian areas and humanitarian zones as shields for its operations, a claim Hamas denies.

The war between Israel and Hamas has continued to inflict devastating casualties on civilians, with each side pointing fingers at the other for the ongoing destruction. As Israel claims to have killed or captured half of Hamas’s commanders since the conflict began, the toll on Gaza’s civilian population remains staggering, with thousands displaced and critical infrastructure in ruins.