GAZA/JERUSALEM: Israeli airstrikes hit a densely populated refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, martyred at least 50 Palestinians and a Hamas commander, and medics struggled to treat the casualties, even setting up operating rooms in hospital corridors.
Israeli tanks have been active in Gaza for at least four days following weeks of air bombardments in retaliation for an attack by Palestinian Hamas militants on mostly Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 and the taking of more than 200 hostages.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement said the strike by fighter jets on Jabalia, Gaza’s largest refugee camp, had killed Ibrahim Biari.
“He was very important, I would say even pivotal in the planning and the execution of the October 7 attack against Israel from the northeastern parts of the Gaza Strip,” said IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus.
Dozens of Hamas combatants were in the same underground tunnel complex as Biari and were also killed when it collapsed in the attack, Conricus said.
“And I understand that is also the reason why there are many reports of collateral damage and non-combatant casualties. We’re looking into those as well,” he said.
Palestinian health officials said at least 50 Palestinians were martyred in the refugee camp and 150 wounded. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied any senior commander was there and called the claim an Israeli pretext for killing civilians.
A Hamas statement said there were 400 dead and injured in Jabalia, which houses families of refugees from wars with Israel dating back to 1948. Reuters could not independently verify the reported casualty figures.
The blast left large craters surrounded by wrecked concrete buildings.
Israel has sent repeated warnings to Gaza residents to evacuate northern areas and while many have gone south, many have not.
