Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza Refugee Camp Leave at Least Three Dead, Dozens Injured
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Israeli airstrike targeting a refugee camp in central Gaza early Monday ignited a massive fire, killing at least three people and injuring around 70 others, according to local health authorities.
The death toll is expected to rise as many displaced Palestinians remain unaccounted for.
The airstrikes hit a camp sheltering displaced Palestinians near al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that several people were killed, and dozens of others were injured, with fears that more casualties will emerge as rescue operations continue.
Video footage shared on social media showed residents using blankets and buckets to try to extinguish the flames that engulfed the camp. Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with people struggling to rescue those trapped amid the fire and debris. Arabic-language media outlets depicted a devastating picture of the aftermath, as many residents, including children, were reportedly asleep when the strike occurred.
The Israeli military stated that the airstrikes targeted a "command center" allegedly used by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. However, Hamas has consistently denied such claims, accusing Israel of using them as a pretext for attacks on civilians.
The airstrikes in Deir al-Balah came shortly after at least 20 people, including children, were killed in a separate attack on a school within the Nuseirat refugee camp, also in central Gaza.
The latest attacks are part of the ongoing Israeli genocidal war that began on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of at least 42,227 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and leaving 98,464 injured, according to local health authorities.