Israeli missile strike on Gaza humanitarian area kills at least 40 people, Palestinians say

An Israeli strike on an area in the Gaza Strip home to Palestinians displaced by the IsraelHamas war killed at least 40 people and wounded 60 others authorities said TuesdayThe Palestinian news agency WAFA reported the toll for the strike citing medical officials and suggested the figures could changeDetails about the strike in the Mawasi coastal community just west of Khan Younis which the Israeli military has designated as a humanitarian zone remained unclear The area is home to many Palestinians displaced by the IsraelHamas war in which the Israeli military has devastated the wider Gaza Strip after Hamas October 7 attack on IsraelThe Israeli military described the strike as hitting ldquosignificant Hamas terrorists who were operating within a commandandcontrol centrerdquo without immediately providing additional evidenceHamas in a reported statement denied that though Israel long has accused Hamas and other militants of hiding in civilian populations Israel has launched strikes in and around Mawasi in the past even as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians now live thereFootage circulating on social media showed deep craters at the site of the attack the strewn ruins around it covered in shredded tents a bicycle and other debris Rescue workers used shovels to shift through the sand Bystanders used their hands to dig illuminated by mobile phone light At least one crater at the site looked to be as deep as 10 metresThe Israeli military said it used ldquoprecise munitions aerial surveillance and additional meansrdquo it did not immediately describe to limit civilian casualtiesMawasi is an area 1 kilometre wide and 14 kilometres long Palestinians who fled other areas have crowded into the sandy beach area against the Mediterranean Sea after Israel told them it would be safe However aid groups have struggled to provide care there among a sea of tents crowded with the belongings families were able to carry away with them when fleeing their homesThe war has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90 per cent of Gazas population of 23 million often multiple timesGazas Health Ministry says over 40000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began It does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its countHamasled militants killed some 1200 people mostly civilians in their October 7 attack They abducted another 250 and are still holding around 100 after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong ceasefire last November Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be deadMeanwhile the United Nations agency in charge of aid for displaced Palestinians said the Israeli military stopped a convoy for more than eight hours on Monday despite it coordinating with the troopsThe agencys head Philippe Lazzarini said the staffers who were held had been trying to work on a polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza and Gaza CityldquoThe convoy was stopped at gunpoint just after the Wadi Gaza checkpoint with threats to detain UN staffrdquo he wrote on the social platform X ldquoHeavy damage was caused by bulldozers to the UN armoured vehiclesrdquo He said the staff and the convoy later returned to a UN base but it was unclear if a polio vaccination campaign would take place Tuesday in northern GazaldquoUN Staff must be allowed to undertake their duties in safety be protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law he wrote ldquoGaza is no differentrdquo The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for commentThe vaccination drive launched after doctors discovered the first polio case in the Palestinian enclave in 25 years aims to vaccinate 640000 children during a war that has destroyed the healthcare systemThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever