Israeli airstrikes hit a densely populated refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing 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 acting 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 statement said the strike on Jabalia, Gaza’s largest refugee camp, had killed Ibrahim Biari. It said he was a ringleader of what it called the “murderous terror attack” on Oct. 7.
Palestinian health officials said at least 50 Palestinians were killed in the refugee camp blast and 150 wounded. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied any senior commander 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 in a rubble filled area 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.
In Washington, a group of anti-war protesters raised red-stained hands to interrupt a hearing in Congress on providing more aid to Israel. They shouted slogans including, “Ceasefire now!” “Protect the children of Gaza!” and “Stop funding genocide.” Capitol police removed them from the room.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby had no comment on the blast at the refugee camp, saying he had no information yet. The “killing of civilians is not a war aim” of Israel, Kirby said.