Gaza, mystery over Deif’s fate after Israel’s raid. Which causes a massacre of civilians –

A massive Israeli air strike has hit the area of ​​al-Mawasi near Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza. The authorities in the Strip report a massacre of civilians, with 90 dead and 300 wounded in an area that had been designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone and was full of displaced people, while Israel says it has targeted the head of the military wing of Hamas, Mohammed Deif, believed to be the mastermind of the October 7 massacre that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, and his deputy, Rafa’a Salameh. On the elimination of Deif and Salameh “there is no absolute certainty,” Benjamin Netanyahu said in the evening, speaking at his first press conference since March. Hamas denied that Deif was in the area hit by the raid: “These false claims are nothing but a cover-up of the scale of the horrific massacre,” the group said, calling on Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to “mobilize” in response to the attack. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, half of the 90 people killed in the raid were women and children. Louise Wateridge, spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, who visited Nasser hospital where the victims were taken, said children had lost limbs and others were traumatized by the deaths of brothers and sisters.

The attack was followed by a series of high-level meetings in Israel, and in the evening Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called on the army to increase “operational readiness on all fronts.” Deif, second only to Yahya Sinwar in the Hamas hierarchy, has been at the top of Israel’s most-wanted list for years and is believed to have escaped several Israeli assassination attempts in the past. He has been in hiding for more than 20 years and is believed to be paralyzed. One of the only known images of him is a 30-year-old photo from an Israeli ID card. Even in Gaza, few people would recognize him. “I want to assure you that one way or another we will reach the top of Hamas,” Netanyahu promised. “Deif is a master assassin, the Hamas chief of staff, the number 2 in the chain of command. He is the planner and leader of the October 7 massacre and many other attacks. His hands are covered in the blood of many Israelis,” the prime minister added, saying he approved the attack once he was sure there were no hostages in the area.

The Israeli attack on Khan Yunis came at a delicate moment in the ceasefire negotiations. Egypt, which along with Qatar and the US is among the mediators trying to negotiate a solution to the conflict, condemned the attack and said that “these continued violations once morest Palestinian citizens add serious complications to the ability of the ongoing efforts to achieve calm and a ceasefire.” Deif’s death might hand Israel a major victory and deal a severe psychological blow to Hamas. It might also give Netanyahu an opening: he has said he will not end the war until Hamas’s military capabilities are destroyed, and Deif’s death might be a significant step in that direction. But Deif’s killing might also risk encouraging Hamas to harden its position in the talks. “A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews are unable to reach them,” Gaza’s health ministry said. Videos from the affected area showed a huge crater, charred tents, burned cars and household items strewn across the blackened earth. The victims were carried on the hoods and tailgates of cars, on donkey carts and on carpets. “This was designated as a safe area, full of people from the north,” said a displaced Palestinian man who did not give his name. “The children were all martyred here. We picked up their pieces with our own hands.” He estimated there were seven or eight rockets and said first responders were also targeted.