GAZA STRIP: The civil defense agency in Hamas-run Gaza said an Israeli strike Sunday hit tents at a declared safe zone in the Palestinian territory鈥檚 south, killing at least five people.
A witness told AFP a newborn was among the dead in Al-Mawasi near Khan Yunis city, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge from the war, now nearing its 11th month.
Since Monday, Israeli forces have operated in and around Khan Yunis including in parts of the coastal area of Al-Mawasi.
鈥淭oday, the Israeli occupation targeted... the tents of displaced people on Al-Istable street in Al-Mawasi,鈥� Muhammad Al-Mughayyir of the Gaza civil defense agency told AFP.
鈥淔ive martyrs and seven wounded have been transferred to Nasser hospital鈥� in Khan Yunis, he said.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was looking into the reports.
Miriam Al-Astal who lives in Al-Mawasi said a newborn baby was killed.
鈥淲e were sitting in the tents... when suddenly we heard an explosion,鈥� she told AFP.
鈥淚 swear鈥� there was no militant activity in the area, she said.
Israel had warned on Monday its forces would 鈥渇orcefully operate鈥� in the Khan Yunis area 鈥� from which troops withdrew in April 鈥� and on Saturday the civil defense agency said that 170 people have been killed by the renewed fighting and military operations.
The military said its latest operations there were to prevent rocket fire. On Wednesday it also announced troops had retrieved the bodies of five Israelis seized by militants during Hamas鈥檚 October 7 attack and held in Gaza.
The attack on southern Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also seized 251 hostages during the attack, 111 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.
Israel鈥檚 retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 39,324 people, according to the territory鈥檚 health ministry which does not provide details of civilian and militant deaths.