Israeli Airstrike Hits Gaza Humanitarian Zone, Killing at Least 11, Including Women and Children

At least 11 Palestinians, including three children and two women, have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, local sources and medics report.

The attack occurred early on January 2, 2025, in the al-Mawasi area, an area designated by Israel as a “safe zone” during its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

The airstrike targeted makeshift tents housing displaced families, causing widespread destruction. Rescue teams were seen digging through the rubble of burnt tents and debris in search of survivors.

A video from the aftermath of the attack showed the devastation, with clothes and belongings strewn across the site where families had sought shelter from ongoing violence.

In addition to the 11 fatalities, 15 others were wounded, although details on their conditions remain scarce. The injured are reported to have been civilians, many of whom had already been displaced by previous attacks.

Israel’s military has not commented on the latest airstrike, but the al-Mawasi area has been repeatedly bombarded in recent weeks, including a deadly attack on December 22, 2024, that left eight people dead, including two children. This attack is part of a larger pattern of Israeli air raids targeting civilians in so-called humanitarian zones, where thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge.

As the situation in Gaza worsens, humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate, with many Palestinians enduring extreme weather conditions in makeshift shelters.

On January 1, 2025, torrential rains flooded tents in the Mawasi area, worsening the already dire living conditions for the displaced residents.