New international outrage after Israel kills 3 senior Hamas commanders hidden in Gaza humanitarian zone

Palestinians claim 40 dead, 60 wounded - Targets took part in Oct. 7 massacre

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Following an Israeli airstrike on a Hamas command center hidden in the humanitarian zone in Gaza resulted in the elimination of three senior terror commanders, outrage erupted in international and Palestinian media amid claims that around 40 people were killed in the strikes.

According to the IDF, the number of casualties is inaccurate, and the targets of the strike were “significant terrorists” who were “operating in a command-and-control complex hidden in the humanitarian area in Khan Yunis.”

“Before the attack, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precision weaponry, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence information,” the IDF stated.

“This is another example of the systematic use by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip of the population and civilian infrastructure, including the humanitarian space, for the purpose of carrying out terrorist acts against the State of Israel and the IDF forces,” the army added.

According to Palestinian reports, about 20 tents were destroyed in the strike that left three deep craters. Around 40 people are claimed to be dead, along with about 60 wounded.

The IDF later confirmed the identities of the three commanders who were killed: Samer Ismail Hader Abu-Daqqa, head of Hamas’ aerial array; Osama Tabash, the head of the observations and targets unit at the terror group’s military intelligence headquarters; and Iman Mabhouh, another senior commander.

A security source told Army Radio: “There is a high level of intelligence confidence that the three were at the scene of the attack.”

“These terrorists were directly involved in the October 7 massacre and worked to advance against IDF forces and the State of Israel in the recent time frame,” the IDF stated.

According to IDF spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari, the numbers published by the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza do not match the information available regarding the IDF's exact weapons used in the strike and the accuracy of the hits.

Before, during and after the strike, the IDF maintained aerial surveillance of the area to ensure the presence of the targets, as well as other terrorists in the area.

The humanitarian zone in southern Gaza has been used by Hamas terrorists numerous times in recent months to hold meetings or to fire rockets in relative security, as the IDF is hesitant to strike in the area crowded with refugees.

In July, a heavy airstrike on a Hamas compound located in the same humanitarian zone killed the terror group’s military commander, Mohammed Deif.

"Despite the extensive measures taken by the IDF to enable the Gazan population to move away from combat zones, including by designating a humanitarian area, the Hamas terrorist organization continues to embed its operatives and military infrastructure in the humanitarian area and systematically use Gazan civilians as a human shield for its terrorist activities," Hagari stated.