Israeli army bombs refugee camp in Gaza ‘safe zone’

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The Israeli army bombed a refugee camp in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Tuesday, a narrow strip of land that was designated as a “safe humanitarian zone” by Israel.

Several Palestinians were killed and injured in the attack, said an Anadolu correspondent, citing field sources.

No official casualty figures have been released by Gaza's medical authorities.

It was not the first time that the Israeli army has targeted refugee camps in the Al-Mawasi area and shelters across parts of the Gaza Strip, resulting in deaths and injuries.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last October by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

More than 39,600 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 91,600 injured, according to local health authorities.

Almost 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio