Jerusalem, Sep 5 (EFE).— The Israeli army bombed refugee tents in a Gaza humanitarian zone of Deir al-Balah, killing four Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense.
A military statement claimed the area Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital was being used as a hub for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, prompting a targeted attack to neutralize “an immediate threat.»
The Israeli armed forces told EFE that the strike hit an area «adjacent» to the hospital, not the facility itself.
However, the surrounding area serves as a refuge for some of the roughly two million displaced people crowded into the «humanitarian zone.»
The Palestinian Wafa news agency reported that women and children were among the victims but did not provide further details.
«Before the attack, steps were taken to reduce the risk to civilians, including the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence,» said the Israeli military statement, echoing its standard message following attacks on sites protected by international humanitarian law, such as hospitals or schools.
The Israeli military accused Palestinian militias of using civilian infrastructure, which they claim «violates international law.»
This is not the first time Israel has targeted the «humanitarian zone» off the coast of southern Gaza. In July, a bombing killed 90 people on the beaches of Mawasi in an attempt to eliminate Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’s armed wing.
The military designated a «humanitarian zone» covering Mawasi, Khan Yunis in the south, and Deir al-Balah in the center, but over time has reduced its perimeter, citing militant attacks on its forces.
Ninety percent of Gaza’s over two million people have been displaced by the war, with the majority packed into makeshift tents within the «humanitarian zone,» where living conditions are dire due to a lack of water and electricity.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), «more than a million people did not receive food rations in August in southern and central Gaza» due to the reduced flow of humanitarian aid trucks into the enclave.
Wafa also reported that Israeli artillery targeted the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, as well as Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south.
Since the conflict began in October last year, 40,819 Palestinians have been killed and another 94,291 injured due to a relentless Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip, according to the enclave’s health ministry. EFE
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