Israel says Hamas brigade commander killed in Gaza strike

Israel's military said Sunday that Hamas' Khan Younis brigade commander Rafa Salama was killed in an airstrike on Gaza's al-Mawasi camp.

The camp — a safe humanitarian zone in the south of the Gaza Strip where hundreds of thousands of people are reportedly sheltering — was targeted by Israeli forces on Saturday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Salama's death "significantly impedes Hamas' military capabilities."

According to Israel, he was one of the closest associates of the head of the Palestinian militant group's armed wing, Mohammed Deif.

The IDF said Salama was involved in planning Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, which killed nearly 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. Over 250 people were also taken hostage and the fates of many of them remain unknown.

The attack spurred Israel to launch its counteroffensive in Gaza.

No confirmation of Salama's death from Hamas

While the IDF said Salama was killed, Hamas has not confirmed whether Salama died in the attack.

Israel said it had targeted both Deif and Salama.

A Hamas official said earlier Sunday that Deif was alive. It is unclear if he was in the area at the time of the attack.

Deif has been among Israel's most wanted men for decades. Israeli authorities have blamed him for the killings of multiple civilians and soldiers. There have been at least six previous attempts on his life.

In a statement, the militant group said Israel claimed to have targeted the two senior Hamas officials "to cover up the magnitude of the horrific massacre."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that there was still no absolute certainty about Deif's fate. 

Dozens killed, hundreds wounded

At least 92 people were killed and 300 wounded in Saturday's strike, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.

Survivors spoke of their anger that the attack happened without warning in an area they had been told was safe.

"Where are we supposed to go?" asked Mahmoud Abu Yaseen, who said he heard two strikes and clutched his children, then woke up in the hospital to find his son had died.

The family has been displaced five times since the war began, he said.

UN representative describes 'horrific' scenes

A UN official described utter chaos at Nasser Hospital, where victims of the airstrike were taken.

"I witnessed some of the most horrific scenes I have seen in my nine months in Gaza," Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator and Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza Scott Anderson said in a statement.

"I saw toddlers who are double amputees, children paralyzed and unable to receive treatment and others separated from their parents," he said. "I also saw mothers and fathers who were unsure if their children were alive."

Despite the al-Mawasi camp being declared a safe zone, there have been multiple deadly incidents  there blamed on Israeli strikes.

Meanwhile in the center, Gaza's Health Ministry also reported another attack on a UNRWA-run school facility in Nuseirat on Sunday, saying 15 were killed and dozens injured. 

Israel's military said it had conducted strikes targeting Hamas militants near the site, saying the facility was being used by Hamas as a base. DW could not verify either side's version of events.

Months of talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt, with US support, have, so far, failed to bring a halt to the conflict.

msh,mm/dj (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)