Politics Many dead in Israel's attack on Hamas military chief
Israel's army has attacked the leader of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif, in the Gaza Strip, killing dozens of other people. Whether Deif was also killed or injured in the airstrike was initially uncertain.
13.07.2024, 17:09
13.07.2024, 21:16
SDA
"There is still no absolute certainty," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference in Tel Aviv. The army had previously announced that it was still investigating whether Deif and Rafa Salama, the commander of the Chan Junis Brigade, had been killed in the airstrike west of Chan Junis. Both were "masterminds of the October 7 massacre" on Israeli soil, it said.
The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" had previously reported that the army assumed that the head of the so-called Kassam Brigades was among the victims.
According to a statement, Hamas denied an Israeli attack on its leadership near the town of Chan Junis in the south of the coastal region.
According to Palestinian reports, at least 90 people were killed in the Israeli military operation. At least 300 other people were also injured in the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority.
Israeli army: no tents in attacked area
"The attack was carried out in a fenced-in area controlled by Hamas and in which, according to our information, only Hamas terrorists and no civilians were present," the army said. "It was a precise attack." It is assumed that most of the victims were also terrorists, the military said.
The object hit was located in an open area surrounded by trees, several buildings and barracks. There were no tents in the area.
A military representative admitted in an online briefing for journalists that the object hit was located in the humanitarian zone declared by Israel to the west of Khan Yunis. "But it was a fenced-off, guarded Hamas base, manned by terrorists," he added. The military was also very certain that there were no Israeli hostages in the building at the time of the attack.
The Palestinian side, on the other hand, said that Israel's army had hit tents belonging to displaced persons. Many of the Palestinians injured in the attack were in mortal danger, according to medical circles in the Gaza Strip.
None of the information could initially be independently verified.
Assessment of the situation by the army
With reference to the army, Israeli media reported that it was unclear whether there were any hostages in the area of the military operation. It is assumed that Hamas leaders are abusing some of the hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip as human shields.
Israel's Foreign Ministry announced that Defense Minister Joav Galant had recently conducted an assessment of the operational situation with Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi and the head of the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, "in view of the developments in Gaza".
One of Israel's goals in the Gaza war is to capture or kill Deif and the Hamas leader in the coastal area, Jihia al-Sinwar. They are considered the two most important leaders of the organization within the Gaza Strip. In March, the army reported the killing of the third most senior Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Marwan Issa.
Hospital cannot treat all injured
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, there were several heavy attacks in the area in the morning. Staff at the nearby Nasser Hospital reported that there were no longer enough beds to accommodate the large number of injured following the attacks.
Images of a huge crater after the air strike went viral on social media. People can also be seen digging in the sand and rubble, presumably to search for survivors. The authenticity of the video could not initially be independently verified.
Israel's army had previously announced that operations were continuing throughout the Gaza Strip.
