At least forty-two people were killed in two Israeli strikes on residential buildings in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian group „Hamas“ reported, quoted by DPA, writes BTA.
The Israeli army announced that the target of one of the strikes near the „Ash Shati“ refugee camp, located west of Gaza City, was Raed Saad, a senior military commander in the military wing of „Hamas“ - the – Izzedine al-Qassam“ Brigades. It is not yet known whether he survived the attack.
The second attack, according to Palestinian sources, hit the Tufa neighborhood near Gaza City. The Israeli military said it had struck Hamas military positions in the area with warplanes.
Earlier today, the Israeli air force said it had targeted a number of targets in the Gaza Strip, killing an unspecified number of people.
According to the army, several people were killed in the central and southern parts of the coastal enclave during the attacks, which destroyed a rocket launcher and several tunnels. Weapons were also seized from Palestinian militants during the operation.
According to the Israeli forces, several people were also killed in an airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip. DPA notes that the information cannot be independently confirmed at this time. There are still no details about yesterday's attack on a refugee camp near the southern city of Rafah, attributed to Israel, in which, according to Palestinian authorities, 24 people were killed and 47 were injured.
In response to a query from DPA, the Israeli army said that an initial investigation showed that the attack on the "Al-Mawasi" camp was not carried out by Israeli forces. The investigation into the case is ongoing, but earlier witnesses reported that Israeli tank shells hit the tent camp in a surprise attack.
Earlier this morning, the Israeli army also reported that an Israeli civilian had been shot in the Palestinian town of Qalqiliya in the northwestern Gaza Strip.