Tel Aviv, Israel

An Israeli airstrike targeting a Hamas military leader claimed the lives of 90 Palestinians in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian zone in Gaza on Saturday (Jul 13).

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Even as the enclave's health ministry reported the casualties wrought during Israel's attack on Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a news conference said that it remains unclear if the commander was killed.

"Either way, we will get to the whole of the leadership of Hamas," he told the news conference.

High-profile target

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Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, while announcing the uncertainty around Deif and another Hamas commander's killing, promised continued pressure on Hamas leadership to improve chances of a hostage deal.

As per Al Jazeera, Hamas has denied Deif's death. A senior official reportedly told the publication that Israeli claims were false and merely a justification for the deadly strike, which happens to be the deadliest Israeli attack on Gaza in weeks.

Also read | Argentina designates Hamas as a terrorist group

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Israel says that the attack targeted Deif and Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade commander Rafa Salama, and described the two men as the masterminds behind the October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the nine-month war in Gaza.

Devastating impact

Displaced people in the targeted area described the devastation. Talking to news agency Reuters, Sheikh Youssef, a Gaza City resident now displaced in Al-Mawasi, recounted the chaos: "I couldn't even tell where I was or what was happening."

"I left the tent and looked around, all the tents were knocked down, body parts, bodies everywhere, elderly women thrown on the floor, young children in pieces," he said.

Also read | More than 70% of Israelis think Netanyahu should step down: Poll

International response

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was "shocked and saddened" by the civilian deaths. Highlighting the lack of safety in Gaza, he said "nowhere is safe in Gaza," and stressed the need to uphold international humanitarian law.

The Israeli military's strike reportedly also aimed at Rafa Salama, the commander of Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade. Both Deif and Salama are considered key figures behind the October 7 attack on southern Israel, which triggered the ongoing conflict.

(With inputs from agencies)