At least 71 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza’s al-Mawasi area

Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on the al-Mawasi area west of the city of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, previously claimed to be “secure,” resulting in the deaths of at least 71 Palestinians and injuring dozens, according to a statement from Gaza’s Civil Defense Unit.

According to hospital sources, the injured were transported to Kuwait Sahara Hospital, where some of the deceased were identified and the injured were treated.

Israeli forces had previously warned Palestinians to evacuate eastern areas of Khan Younis for their safety on July 1, declaring them as “dangerous conflict zones.” Consequently, displaced Palestinians fled Israeli attacks, seeking refuge in the uninhabitable al-Mawasi area stretching from southwest Deir al-Balah to west Rafah.

On July 2, staff at the Gaza-European Hospital began evacuating patients, casualties, and equipment following Israeli directives to vacate the hospital’s location. Evacuees from the Gaza-European Hospital, one of the few operational health centers in Gaza, were transferred to Nasser Hospital in the city center.

Displaced Palestinians in the sandy, infrastructure-lacking al-Mawasi area have faced challenges with sanitation, electricity, and communication as they seek shelter.