A minimum of 11 Palestinians have been reported to have lost their lives after an Israeli artillery attack took place on the tents that were set up in order to house the displaced individuals in Gaza’s southernmost city in the Al-Mawasi area of western Rafah. According to the accounts provided by the Palestinian security and medical sources, the assault had also left over 40 injured.
According to Xinhua news agency, the Israeli army initiated the shelling late Thursday night after Israeli tanks advanced near the area. The attack had reportedly caused the residents to abandon their tents and flee towards southwestern Khan Younis. This had reportedly a widespread panic among the displaced residents.
Eyewitnesses and local sources described the chaos as families scrambled to escape the artillery fire. According to a Medical personnel who was deployed on the ground, the people who had sustained severe varied injuries as a result of bombing were immediately being taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The area of Al-Mawasi is one that largely lacks infrastructure, sewage networks, electricity lines, communications networks, and the Internet, leading to difficult living conditions for the displaced individuals residing there.
The region is entirely an open sandy area that extends from the Southwest of the city of Deir al-Balah in the centre of the Gaza Strip through western Khan Younis to the west of Rafah.
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