At least 25 Palestinians were killed and 50 others wounded on Friday when Israeli forces shelled tents hosting displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area of western Rafah, southern Gaza.
In a statement, the health ministry in Gaza said the death toll from the Israeli attack on tents in Al-Mawasi rose to 25, while another 50 were injured.
Earlier, medical sources told Anadolu that rescue teams recovered the bodies of 18 victims and treated 35 wounded after Israeli tanks targeted the IDP camp.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed the incident, noting that its medical teams were “handling a large number of casualties following Israeli shelling in the area.”
Witnesses told Anadolu that two Israeli Merkava tanks positioned on a hill opposite the Shakoush area in western Rafah fired artillery shells at a gathering of displaced people near the gate of the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital, resulting in several casualties.
Ambulances rushed to the scene to transport the dead and injured to rural hospitals, while rescue operations are ongoing.
The shelling set fire to tents spreading fear and panic among the displaced. Witnesses described a significant exodus from the tents to Khan Yunis in the north.
The Israeli military had instructed Palestinian displaced persons to gather in the Al-Mawasi coastal strip, claiming it to be a “safe zone”. This area stretches 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) along the Mediterranean coast and extends one kilometer inland.
Al-Mawasi area lacks residential infrastructure, including sewage systems, power lines and communication networks. Most of the land is divided into agricultural greenhouses or sandy areas.
IDPs living in the area face dire conditions, with severe shortages of basic resources such as water, sanitation, medical care and food.
Israel, in defiance of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued violent assault on Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian group Hamas that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis.
The Palestinian death toll from relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since last October has exceeded 37,400, according to the health ministry in the besieged enclave.
More than 85,600 people have also been injured in the attack, the ministry added.
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